Pattern
by Bocilovegsr
Summary: What happens when Sara isn't answering Grissom's call after she returned to Vegas from visiting him in Paris? NOW COMPLETE
1. The elevator

**Title:** PATTERN

**Rating:** PG-13 for now

**Disclaimers:** Sadly, I do not own anything or anybody related to CSI.

* * *

Chapter One

It was quite a slow night in Vegas and therefore at the Lab, too. It seemed like the criminals decided to take a break and provide a lazy shift for their hunters, called CSIs. Although, the graveyard loved solving crimes and giving justice to the victims and their still living families, Nick, Cath and Greg loved the rare nights when life just went on without incidents. As the time went by extremely slowly, Cath became more and more bored. She had finished all of her mags, she even read some of Greg's old treasures about the newest sports cars. Finding nothing appealing in them or at least something which could engage her attention even for a second, she finally gave up and was about to go to check on the guys when her cell went off.

"Willows," Cath answered in her bored voice without taking a glance at the display.

"Hi Catherine! Is Sara there with you? I can't reach her," the familiar warm but slightly worried voice came.

"Hi! Depends! And just who is asking?" Cath retorted.

"I see, slow night. All of your magazines are shredded and no exciting car in any of Greg's bibles," the mysterious person responded on the other end of the call.

"Gil! Sorry, I…just…um. So long time no speak. How are you? Where are you? Why are you still there? When will you come to visit us?" Cath asked through one single breath.

"Slow down Cath," Grissom laughed, "or else you will be the only case tonight."

"In '_this_' case, answer my questions!" the redhead criminalist shot back with ease.

"Okay. I'm fine but getting seriously concerned, I'm in Paris because I am lecturing a _'you-will-be-sick-even-from-the-title'_ course and now I am considering a flying visit to Vegas because I am not able to reach my wife and the only person who is better than a GPS doesn't want to answer me." Grissom replied a little more sharply.

"Hey, Mr. Husband-in-love, calm down, will ya? First thing first. So, what has Mrs. Sorbonne done this time? I thought she went to see you for a few days and …hell, you should be more …um…balanced," the very amused supervisor of the graveyard said.

Catherine was so happy to have Sara back as a colleague, even for a short period of time. The team was reduced again after Adams had decided to quit and before she did so, she had left a few very "kind" lines in her exit interview for Ecklie to chew on. And Conrad was really a flea-bitten dog. "Thanks again," Cath thought with sour taste in her mouth. And a few days ago, Sara had left again, thank goodness, this time just for a week. Cath would have never thought that she would miss Sara but she had done so. Her returned cheerfulness and zest for life and for this soul-trying job seemed to refresh the team's dynamic. Sara was very supportive and friendly when Cath had been down in the Locker room after Ecklie's outburst. And Cath felt both extremely happy and guiltily sad about the support that she had been given. She hadn't always been very nice to Sara, she knew it and still, Sara offered her hands for her. So the new head of the old team was excited about Sara's return beyond measure. One week in Paris, visiting her husband had to be a very short time for Sara but one week in Vegas without her seemed much longer for Cath.

"Right," Grissom interrupted her with as much patience as he could muster. "Good bye, Ms Radar-out-of-order!" a suddenly irritated Grissom barked back.

"Whoa-whoa, wait! Can't you take a joke? She arrived in Vegas this afternoon and she looks great. More than great. Happy and revitalized. I can just only guess what you two were–" Grissom again cut into her high fly chit-chat.

"Would you please tell her to answer the damn cell or to call me back?" Grissom said.

"O-kay. Anything else? I'm busy, you know. I don't have the luxury just sunning myself in some rainforest, then getting married and –" the much happier and now wide awake Cath answered as she was daydreaming.

"Thank – you for your immediate help. Just for the record, not much sunshine gets into the depths of the rainforest. It was a pleasure to talk to you, enjoy your _'busy'_ night! Bye, Cath," and with that Grissom hung up.

"You're welcome," Cath said to no one in particular as she starred at the now silent cell with a deep sigh.

Catherine's mood was rising definitely with every step she made which rather looked like dancing than walking. "It isn't a deadly boring shift after all," she thought. Now her new mission was to find the source of Grissom's concern. First she went to Trace where Sara had been last seen but now wasn't there anymore. Next destination was the Layout room. No sight of Sara. Interesting. After rushing out of the A/V Lab, still knowing nothing about Sara's whereabouts, Cath felt uneasy.

"What the hell is going on here?" the woman pondered as she tried to think of her next move. "Perhaps Grissom missed the correct tiny buttons when he had dialed the number of his beloved," Cath thought and smiled at just how extremely smart she was and dialed Sara's number right away. "Grissom, Grissom! What was in your hand or on your mind when you tried to call her?" She laughed to herself while she continued her way up to the break room. "Oh, don't go there, Cath, you …you reincarnation of Einstein." With newborn determination, she practically bounced along the hallway of the Lab but her newly found happiness faded just as quickly. Sara, indeed, didn't answer her phone. Interesting. "Oh, come on, who are you kidding? I am a trained investigator, a sharp woman, a super-fly lady who is in charge of her own life, yeah. I will page her. Yes, I am a genius," Catherine thought but this time she wasn't as self-confident as she had been twenty minutes ago. She went to the break room and took residence in one of the not so comfortable chairs and waited. Easy. Too bad, waiting was her weakest point. After ten long minutes, she started to squirm. "Why isn't she answering?" she was sweating under her nose. Another five minutes, nothing. She was about to stand up and call the guys to help her to find their old friend when she heard a lengthy sentence - containing words a lady rather not repeated – coming from a very pissed woman's mouth.

"I can't believe this! I was stuck in that freaking elevator for more than an hour, and nobody seemed to miss me. I just hoped that whenever you guys would have loved to have my help with any case, you could have found me following the smell of my own decomp floating all around in the Lab!" a pretty miserable looking Sara complained.

"A body can't decompose within an hour," a dry voice proclaimed behind Sara.

"Huh?" Sara turned an angry gaze in the direction of the sound, ready to create her very crime scene on her own. Sensing Sara's grudge, the new lab-tech practiced his new technique of sublimation. Trying to compose herself, Sara went straight into the Break room. She felt hot and sweaty. Sara never liked small enclosed places but since the Davis incident, her tolerance of such a cage was even lower. After realizing she was trapped, she immediately felt dizzy and the ugly head of panic laughed at her making her ears ringing. She wasn't in a good mood. Her cell was useless in that metal box and she had forgotten to recharge her pager. "When you are jammed in a damn elevator, your first move is to pull out your cell and ask for help, right? But how the hell could you manage a call when there is no reception in that lousy machine at all?" Sara quarreled. Being a physicist, she understood perfectly why things worked this way or better said why cells 'weren't' working at all but understanding materials was one thing and accepting her defeat was absolutely a different matter. It was all her husband's fault. He promised to call her. He said he had recharged her pager and he just promised to call her. Her mood was still on the level of her car parked in the garage deep under the surface. She just missed her husband. And he promised to call her. "I know we are the leading power in technology in the world …. or is it Japan? I don't care. Telephone is invented already - even in France!" she murmured at the doorway of the Break room.

"Oh, my God, Sara!" Cath squealed with both her hands in the air. "Where have you been?" running towards her, "I've been looking for you for hours!"

"Well, have you checked the morgue?" Sara grilled her indignantly.

"Nope, that was the only place I didn't call. Why? Were you there?" Cath asked with no little surprise.

"No," Sara let out a sigh. "But that would have been a good call if –" her voice choked slightly.

"Look, sit down, I'm going to get you some food and drink, just calm down," the older CSI assured the fate-stricken Sara.

"I'm not nervous, I'm …I don't know… I…I panicked, I guess," Sara said.

Seeing her friend's expression, Cath seated herself close to Sara and took her hand in hers. Smiling kindly she hinted,

"You said that part of being married was attempting to share in your spouse's interests, right?"

"I think so..," Sara answered, not really knowing what Cath was insinuating.

"Then I guess, it also means that you share some part of his 'personality'..," Cath tried tentatively.

"What are you trying to tell me, Cath?"

"Oh, nothing wise or nothing 'I-am-older-so-know-better' shit. And I'm older just on paper, anyway. Just practise your cute husband's 'always-cool' façade," Cath joked.

"Oh, yeah, it is easy for him. He has it so easy. Grissom eats what bugs him," the younger woman stated smiling at Cath this time.

"Stop! Don't give me pictures…he is still eating bugs?" Cath gulped as she fought against the raising nausea.

"What?" she looked at the now much paler redhead.

"But you're still a vegetarian, aren't you?"

"Um…never mind, Cath, forget it," Sara suggested shaking her head at the misunderstanding.

"Alright," Cath agreed gratefully and she leaned back in her chair.

"So, why did you want to see me so vehemently?"

"Your bug-eating husband called 2 hours and 17 minutes ago because he had got no answer from you. Where were you anyway?"

"I was holed up in the elevator."

"And? Forgot to press the button?" Cath teased.

"You know I also learned from Griss what a baseball bat is for…"

"Hey, eat a bug instead! By the way, he 'begged' me to tell you to call him back."

"Ah-ha, he begged," Sara repeated the words doubtfully. "Okay, I am going to call him back. I just want to catch my breath, thanks Cath." As she did so, she stretched her muscles and hung her head back to ease the kinks out of her neck. She felt like a cat who wasn't allowed to sleep. Sara even let a moan slip out of her mouth in satisfaction. That's when Cath came to life again. Her eyes widened, her lips formed a grin.

"What are those on your neck? Bite marks?"

Sara's head shot back in its proper position but as she did so, her neck made a cracking sound- her eyes widened; her lips formed a grim line. She instinctively covered her neck with her hands, more out of pain caused by the sudden movement than to hide anything. It, of course, only fueled Cath's interest. She got wind of a naughty secret; she knew that, she felt with all of her being. And she wasn't about to let it go. She starved for fun. Only one thing was better than laughing with your friends and that was laughing AT your friends. Life was great.

"What are you talking about? Anyway, I better call Griss back," Sara said, "um….'til later," the brunette added as she started to stand up.

"Stay put!" Cath was now eager as hell. "Let me see!"

"Oh-uh, nope, those are just freckles," Sara answered a little too quickly turning into a nice shade of pink.

"How do you know those are just freckles if you don't even know what I was talking about?" Cath interrogated Sara methodically and she reached out to observe her finding.

"Hey, keep your hands to yourself! Or buy a cat. I have freckles all over my body. You wanna see them all?"

"Yep…..I mean, of course, no."

"Then leave me alone and let me call Grissom."

"Yeah, sure...um, nice pattern, tho," Cath said suspiciously, her eyebrows dancing.

"Pat..pattern?" Sara stammered blushing more.

"Yes, it reminds me of ....I don't know, just… ah, forget it. Do you have photos of your visit? Don't tell me you didn't take any!" Cath demanded.

"Oh, sure, I took some," Sara beamed up immediately. She was very grateful for the welcomed distraction from her allegedly marked neck. Sara jumped on this opportunity and fished some photos out of her purse. "Here. We were just having a nice dinner," she showed a picture of the two of them to Cath.

"That's it!!!" Cath shouted. "I so knew I have seen that pattern somewhere!!!!" she joyfully sang.

"What pattern?" Sara asked with a bit of annoyance, feeling a little hotter. Cath was like a shark that smelled blood. And Cath was very greedy. She momentary looked scary.

"Gil's smile! Yes, I know now! Hey, guys, come here, you gotta see this!" Cath called.

Nick and Greg came into the Break room to see what had their boss and friend on fire. "What do we have to see?"

"Check this photo out and then compare it to Sara's freckles on her neck," she giggled openly now making Sara even more embarrassed.

"No, guys, it is nothing, go back to work, I have to go to the ladies room, anyway," Sara hissed clenced-teethedly.

"Didn't you just tell me that you wanna call somebody?"

"Yes, but it can wait," Sara growled at the little party Cath created.

"Hey, that pattern...," Greg mused starring at her neck then at the photo.

"Don't start!" Sara threatened him then turned to leave.

"What do you think, Nick?" Cath asked the older male CSI. She was now deliriously happy and smug.

"Grissom's smile -- specifically his teeth -- and the pattern on Sara's neck are so similar but I don't know Cath, maybe we should just leave it alone," Nick suggested knowing very well what a furious Sara was capable of doing having been irritated.

"You? Maybe. Me? Nope, never, I need to know," Cath muttered, already on her way out of the room.

"What are you planning, Cath?" Greg worriedly asked the over-excited Catherine.

"Nothing boys, go back to work, I have to pee....right now!" and with that Cath ran towards the restroom.


	2. The ladies' room

Chapter Two

"_I told you!" the newly wed woman complained into the phone._

"_Told me what, honey?"_

"_That they are not blind. That they will notice the marks and they did just that," a hint of fear impregnated her voice._

"_What marks?__" the fifty-something-year-old man with salt and pepper hair and beautiful starry blue eyes croaked, "I was very careful, there mustn't be any. They are just bluffing and by the way, they have absolutely no evidence."_

"_Oh, lover. __They don't need evidence for proving something that they can see with their own eyes," the young bride murmured while she was playing with the golden ring that still felt so extraordinary but as natural at the same time._

"_You said it __would be easy to cover and I've already apologized," the husband said matter-of-factly._

"_Babe, it was a close call, too close __but first and foremost, I was very embarrassed."_

"_Please, I know all of this is __the direct consequence of my carelessness, I am so sorry for putting you in trouble, it wasn't my intention, I love you," the desperate man whispered._

"_I love you, too. Don't worry; I have a good grip of the situation. And you know, receiving "that" is a turn-on, however, covering it is definitely a turn-down," the fiery brunette purred into the phone playfully._

"_Tell me about the "turn-on" part again," his happier sound pleaded._

"_Do you really think it is a good idea to start something that you have to finish alone?"_

"_Your last visit was too short," the male voice echoed through the line, "we were always interrupted, I felt as if somebody had spied on us every minute we had spent together. And being watched is NOT a turn-on for me."_

"_Then tell me what the "turn-on" is to you," a deep seductive purr came._

"_Your full lips on mine, your delicate hands on my skin searching for new microcells to discover, your body – so perfectly shaped – on and under then behind, once on my right then on my left and in front of me…"_

"_I miss you, too," she breathed with unshed tears in her eyes. "I can feel you even though you are far away. I can see your face mirrored in my coffee, I can hear your voice in every breath men take, and I can feel your touch on my skin as if you were touching me at this moment. I can feel your eyes on me every time somebody looks at me," she sobbed._

"_We talked about this, we can be together again soon, we both knew it would be hard to be separated but when I can leave this country, I will be on the first flight out and we will never let each other go, ever," he promised._

"_I know, believe me and__ I understand that but it is killing me that I'm not allowed to visit you whenever I wish," her voice broke and she got anxious, looking nervously around but seeing nothing and nobody; she added, "and it's not that easy when you are inspected by a good few people eager to find a sign…any sign –" and she suddenly stopped._

"_What happened?"_

"_I can't talk right now, I think I am being followed," she said, "I gotta go, I really have to, please be safe and I'll call you."_

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* * *

A few minutes after Sara had fled from the Break Room, Catherine Willows was determined to reach her destination, the only place to where even kings go on foot. She did not expect much information from Sara but a woman could hope and 'hope dies last' as they said. Her silky cascade of long blonde hair bounced as Cath sailed along the hallway. She was like a Duracell Bunny; only she was powered by a crumb of fun which kept her continue functioning for a longer amount of time before her "battery" would run down. Sometimes, she thought of the Lab as a catacomb – dark and mysteriously creepy. It would have been more practical if the constructors had installed more light bulbs in the building than making all walls transparent excluding any possibility for privacy. And she respected privacy. Very much. The Lab looked like a fabulous crystal labyrinth because of the walls all made of stained-glass; consequently, making the passage a huge magnifier which informed everybody about her presence. The corridor never seemed so long and so crowded to her as it seemed at this moment. Cath enjoyed the attention she was given but today she was more annoyed by it. Usually, she was a princess in this palace but now she felt like a manual that all labrats wanted to read. Couldn't they see how busy she was? There was a "noble" task to be accomplished. She decided not to see and not to hear anything. Good plan.

The woman was only a few paces off from the desired room when a man stopped her again with some "silly" questions. She felt a spark of violence surfacing in her but she, being a professional, answered the questions and gave out instructions then was again on her way to the restroom. Only for a minute, she played with the thought of putting some laxative in the pot of coffee in the Break Room. Let's see what happens when you are stopped on your way towards the blissful release, the supervisor giggled and her spirit was again on top. With her hand on the knob of the ladies' room, the smile slowly fell from her lips when she tried to imagine the very real possibility of HER being "poisoned" and with these amount of interruption in the hallway…"Yeah, I surely would leave trace," she murmured angering herself. Her mood sank a little. Willows finally stepped inside and was satisfied with the fact that only one stall was occupied, just as she expected. Mood was lifting anew. Game on! she sighed smugly.

She was about to open her mouth but in the nick of time she thought better. An investigator couldn't be precautious enough. She dug out her tiny mirror and carefully held it above her head with a perfect angle to see who was in the next box. Dark mop of hair, making a phone call, yes, it was, indeed, Sara. She is telephoning in the toilet, she found it unusual but then she realized Sara had intended to call her "teethy" husband back.

After seating herself on the porcelain god, she opened her mouth to greet her friend when a well-known but irritating noise started its sonata. One of the five stalls was locked because of a malfunctioning tank. It made noises of a waterfall. One more thing which was needed to be fixed and soon. Ladies needed silence in this kind of place, so she had already made plans on how to persuade the maintenance to prioritize their issues. She got it that a loose screw in Ecklie's chair was more important to fix than stopping the Niagara Falls in the ladies' room. Now she would have to perk up her ears, no problem.

"Um…look, someone came in, I can't talk right now," the woman in the stall voiced.

"No-no! Just ignore me, keep talking," Cath offered in a generous manner.

After an awkward silent moment which seemed a lifetime but in reality only lasted two or three seconds, the call was reluctantly continued.

"It's Cath, I think but I'm not sure. I can't hear her clearly," after a short halt she continued, "….yes, our home 'Angel Falls' hasn't been fixed yet," the woman in the stall next to Cath's articulated carefully.

"Yes, it's me," Cath's cheery voice filtered through the wall of the booth. "Tell him 'hi' for me," Cath added even louder.

With a quiet chuckle, the brunette conveyed the message, "Cath says hi," a short pause followed, "you've just talked with her? …Okay. She must be missing you," after a shorter pause, "I can't hear you, I'll call you back when I get out of here, bye," she said and hung up.

Sensing her time arrived, Cath mounted her friendly offensive, "You know, next time I meet him, I will make sure I have a bunch of garlic," Cath laughed making her friend's eyes wide.

"Huh?" her groan came.

"Oh, I knew about his sinful second nature but this is new," she entertained herself, "but I've never ever thought he is a modern Dracula."

"Who?"

"Ah, the poor thing in Transylvania, a vampire, you know…oh, come on, big fangs, pale skin…ring a bell? It should… you are the one who had seen him that close."

There were moments in life when people really did not know what to do. Listening to an over-energized crazy fellow and get embarrassed OR leaving her there chit-chatting and escape as fast and quiet as they could manage and spare the hassle for their sake. _I won't listen to Catherine's verbal diarrhea_, she thought, _but what now? Where is a place you can hide from the world hoping to find some peace to finish a call without being nagged? Okay, it is not a strictly official call, but …related…in some way. And man; now I'm talking to myself_. The dilemma was momentous that needed serious consideration. She just wanted to be outside, free. So she came up with a brilliant plan. She could make noises which would scare off the CSI. She was about to perform a fat thunder with her mouth when Cath's newest tidbit piqued her attention.

"Hey, we have been friends for ages, I'm just teasing you. I don't want to embarrass you, you know me," Cath changed her approach.

_Yeah, I know__ you, that's why I wanna leave_, the young woman mouthed soundlessly.

"So, what if I tell you about my "kissing lessons" and in return, you tell me the history of your little tattoo on your neck. Nothing dirty, just the skinny version," Cath challenged her defiant friend and colleague.

"Nah, please!"

Cath cupped her hand behind her ear and said, "I don't tease, I thought you would like it."

And with that little sentence, the story of the teenager Cath began making her co-worker shocked, amused and deeply blushed. Long minutes later, the old dilemma grinned back at the troubled woman. Again there were moments in life when she really did not know what to do. With this information in pocket, she could not just leave without returning the favor, no matter she did not ask for it. She could not risk going out and facing the older woman but she was not interested in her monologue which, she was sure, would turn into a dialogue. Old dilemma, old solution. And the imitating sounds left the young brunette's mouth one by one.

Horrified by the unexpected turn of event, Cath was on her feet in a second and said, "Aww, girl, we will talk later when you killed Yogi Bear."

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* * *

It was raining in Paris. As if the weather had known that his new habitant was lonely even with lots of students in the huge lecture room. They could see a crowded man who himself never felt more alone. His tuneless phone still on his desk, Gil Grissom was still a busy teacher with tons of lectures he wanted to elaborate with the help of as many details as his new students could digest. Then some students called him monsieur and he immediately traveled back mentally into his little flat that he rented with Sara. This word sounded extremely sexy from his wife's mouth. And when she had added her special 'want-ya' intonation to it, he could not help but reach for her and practise their mutual favorite hobby which was amazing for both their souls and bodies. His brain kept telling him that they had to wait only a little more for their souls and bodies to merge into one again. The massive walls of the Sorbonne kept him trapped and the impressive windows starred back at him to witness his inner turmoil. He could do nothing but be patient and wait for the day he could see his beautiful loving wife again, holding her as tight as a pair of handcuffs embraces a guilty man's wrists.

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* * *

In Las Vegas, Cath swung past many labs on the way to her office. She had piles of paperwork to do and she was committed to complete them as soon as possible. She had learned from her mistakes and did not want one more battle with Ecklie over bureaucracy. A few signatures here, a few stamps there. Boring. Now, she was able to understand Grissom better why he had neglected this part of his job. It was boring, mechanical and well, time-consuming. Probably, it was more productive to check on the running cases and the guys before she jumped into the pool of dead trees once more. It was gruesome that she did not have to go to the morgue in order to see lifeless bodies, dead matter laid right in front of her. Dead people on Doc's table– dead trees on Cath's desk. She wanted to see living humans.

A very despotic-looking Ms Willows headed to the A/V Lab where a small gathering had been recruited. They definitely had a good time. They were all standing around Archie who held them in play. But the Lab was not a playground, for God's sake. Were they really watching a movie while she was buried with cases and papers? Armed to the teeth, Cath marched towards the 'soon-dead-and-soon-eunuchs'.

"Hey, Cath!" Sara called after her pissed friend when she caught a glance of Cath storming down the hall.

"Well," she couldn't resist the smile forming on her otherwise reddened face. "Are you okay?"

"Sure, I'm fine. Why?"

"You sounded desperate when we last talked."

"Drop it, okay?" Sara rolled her eyes and added, "Got a minute?"

"Of course, but at first I have to take care of something…," Cath's attention was already on her current inter-office battle she intended to win.

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* * *

"_I miss you, too," she breathed with unshed tears in her eyes. "I can feel you even though you are far away. I can see your face mirrored in my coffee, I can hear your voice in every breath men take, and I can feel your touch on my skin as if you were touching me at this moment. I can feel your eyes on me every time somebody looks at me," she sobbed._

"_We talked about this, we can be together again soon, we both knew it would be hard to be separated but when I can leave this country, I will be on the first flight out and we will never let each other go, ever," he promised._

"_I know, believe me and I understand that but it is killing me that I'm not allowed to visit you whenever I wish," her voice broke and she got anxious, looking nervously around but seeing nothing and nobody; she added, "and it's not that easy when you are inspected by a good few people eager to find a sign…any sign –" and she suddenly stopped._

"_What happened?"_

"_I can't talk right now, I think I am being followed," she said, "I gotta go, I really have to, please be safe and I'll call you."_

"_I love you, S…" the tired and lonely man started to say his goodbye but the line already went dead.__ He whispered anyway, "Sweetheart."  
_

_With the line's steady silence, his heart died of missing the only woman he had loved for so long, his woman. Every step he made felt heavier and heavier but his brain kept telling him that they had to wait only a little more for their souls and bodies to merge into one again. The massive building trapped him inside and the old gothic windows starred back at him to witness his turmoil. He could do nothing but be patient and wait for the day he could see his beautiful loving wife again, holding her as tight as a pair of handcuffs embraces a guilty man's wrists._

"Once more! Once more!" Henry begged.

"Man, what are you, a moronic parrot? We have watched it for at least five times, I'll buy you breakfast if you shut your trap," Bobby cried.

"What's going on here?" the less pissed but still fuming boss-lady demanded; making all men in the room jump and turn around to face their fate. "Is this a 'Movie Marathon'?"

"We…um…so..," Bobby gawped at Catherine. "I think I have seen a pistol in this episode."

"A pistol?" she asked but thinking how he would lose his own if he didn't zip his lips.

"Well, I'd like to suggest that you might want to conduct a research on this matter before you think we are idle on the clock instead of working hard but the quicker way to gain some information about the maelstrom of actions in this priceless temple of digital widgets is to let me explain why we are here, all seemingly helpless," Hodges explained.

"Oh, hi, Cath. This relates to our new case," Nick joined Hodges in order to appease Catherine.

"You are working on this case with..?"

"Solo… until now. I asked Sara to help me out and during the last half hour I was filling her in," Nick answered.

"And what's this "popcorn party" all about?"

"I had given Archie this tape to analyze when you asked Greg and me to check some photos," Nick explained the situation with a hint of humor on his face.

"Weird case, I can tell you, Cath," Sara walked into the room behind Catherine, "that's why I wanted to talk with you. I've never heard anything like this before. I mean, okay, we know criminals follow some pattern but this one looks different," Sara added quickly to the conversation.

"How different?" Cath looked at her then at Nick.

"Three crimes were committed already by a couple. First one in Iwilei, Hawaii, the second one in Bicknell, Utah, and the current one was here, in Vegas, Nevada. Now, this couple is no longer just lovers, but also is legally married. They seem to follow soap operas' plots word by word," Sara animated enthusiastically, "Nick thought this was only a simple burglary until he found this VHS tape in the middle of a big puddle of wine," she explicated.

"I contacted other PDs and now we know this," Nick filled her supervisor in. "To be more specific, we know very little about their method. They take all books and DVDs but it seems they are not interested in money," Nick ventured.

"According to this episode, which is quite sappy for my taste if I am allowed to remark this, the man goes to jail for a jerkwater crime to humbug the police while his wife clears up their traces, they can communicate only via phone, blah-blah " Hodges commented.

"So you think," ignoring Hodges, Cath looked back at Nick, "they are following a cheap plot like this?" Cath asked amazedly, "and all of these are for some books and DVDs," she shook her head. "Alright, guys. Go home; we will work on it tomorrow."

"Can we watch the rest of the episode?" Henry asked trustingly.

Cath just waved her permission but her thoughts were already occupied by her deal with Sara. She deserved a little fun after all the stress this night. All three CSIs left the A/V Lab and headed to the Locker Room. Catherine waited until Nick packed up his belongings and said goodbye. Sara smiled at her and was about to fish out her cell from her purse when an eager voice interrupted her movement.

"So, what's the deal?" Cath hinted playfully.

"What deal?"

"Oh, come on! The deal we made in the rest room. You are not going to back out, no-no," her eyes showed amusement and sincere curiosity.

"I haven't been in there since I came to work tonight. Not healthy, I know," Sara confessed like a child who did not do their homework.

"But you WERE there!" Catherine insisted as a chill ran through her veins. It had to be …YOU... was her last coherent thought.

"No, I wasn't. Hey, I know I should have gone, but…okay, I am going to visit it right now."

Sara said goodbye then left the room and headed toward the rest room. If she had turned back, she could have witnessed a body standing transfixed with horror. Cath felt faint.


	3. Calling Grissom

Chapter Three

In the parking lot, Sara Sidle sat in her car without starting the engine for over ten minutes. It had been a busy night at work, thus, it felt so energizing to call her husband in Europe. They never talked for hours like other couples did; the Grissoms preferred talking frequently to talking long. He briefly described his day at the university, how his students took all the information he contributed and he told her about a male student who had missed the correct seminar room and after about ten minutes excused himself and left the room in a spanking pace keeping his hand to his mouth. Then she told him about her ordeal in the elevator, about the new bizarre case and the ridiculous escape from Catherine's predatory eyes. Sara pretended to be indignant because of the mark he had given her the night they had spent together before she left France. And now, here she was in Vegas, smiling at the memories of that hot night. Sara decided to let her mind recall the gentle and not so gentle kisses of those passionate hours. She closed her eyes and she immediately found herself back in their cozy nest in Paris.

"_Stay where you are," Sara called between giggles from the bathroom. "Don't peep!"_

_Grissom laid on their b__ed waiting for his wife to come out from her hiding place. She was in there for a long time or at least Grissom found it seemed like a lifetime. After they left the Office of Admission where they had submitted all documents required to their new project, the pair went straight to the restaurant Sara had chosen days earlier to please her gourmet mate. Le Paprika was one of the best Hungarian restaurants in Paris with live Gipsy music at night. Although, it was a meat-with-meat-and-meat restaurant, it also had a reasonable vegetarian menu, so both of them found what they liked. An hour later, Sara asked him to wait for her in the bedroom._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Patience, my love!"__ Sara said laughing. Grissom only growled his disagreement._

_First, __one long leg appeared in the doorway drawing imaginary hearts then a slim arm did the same. Grissom sat up immediately and was amused by the performance. Suddenly, both body parts were pulled back. Sara lost her balance so she needed to harmonize her movements. Then a slow sensual music started and was soon followed by a giggling Sara who resumed the only-for-her-husband dance. Grissom tried very hard to keep a straight face but failed miserably. Sara was mind-blowing cute and sexy in her loose skirt and tiny silky top which left little to imagination. She was not a dancer kinda girl but she knew Grissom would be pleased by her clumsy attempt of a striptease. At first, she thought of dancing cancan but she soon dismissed the idea. She did not want to drag her skirt as if she had bugs running all over it; however, she was sure that Grissom would love that idea just as much._

_Grissom enjoyed the show beyond measure and was about to reach for her leg when a __strange noise interrupted Sara's swaying motion. Both widened their eyes to see what happened._

"_Well, I think I __won't change profession," she said pouting._

_He scowled. __"You knocked off my phone!"_

"_Why are you keeping your phone – instead of your wife - on the bed?" Sara joked and smacked his arm playfully._

"_Because I was excepting a call but evidently…" he was smacked again._

"_Party __pooper!" Sara started to step away from him but he grabbed her hips._

"_I'd prefer you to call me Dr. Eiffel Tower."_

_She looked down at his __newfound tower and grinned with satisfaction. "Well, Dr. Gris…um…Dr. Eiffel Tower," she showed all of her teeth, "it's sure made of steel and –" she stopped for a moment to think. Her grin turned into a pretended grim, "That tower is frequented, is it true for this tower, too?"_

"_Nope, it__'s just built only for your inspection," he replied with as innocent expression as he was able to muster._

"_Good answer, Professor," she breathed inches from his lips.__ He leaned into the offered kiss but she pushed him back._

"_You are difficult, Mrs. Professor."_

"_I'm simple like the ABC," Sara said chuckling._

"_Then teach me __to write correctly," with that he reached behind her neck and pulled her to him._

_She smirked and added before __she met his waiting lips, "But you are the teacher here…"_

"_Yep, who is willing to take __postgraduate courses to improve his knowledge," he said and this time he kissed her._

"Ma'am. Ma'am! Are you okay?" the rude voice of reality jerked Sara back to present.

She opened her eyes and sent a glare to the watchman that made him decide that no more question was needed. At last, she started the engine and drove home.

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* * *

Back inside the Lab, Catherine tried to remember how to breathe. She had to sit down and grip the edge of the bench to prevent a possible falling. _It doesn't add up_, she thought.

"How could it happen?" she asked herself. She went through the events step by step, again and again, but she was in the dark. Speaking of dark. It must be one of her dark haired colleagues. But who?

She groaned and said, "It could have been anybody in there! Almost anybody." She shocked herself with the realization that she now was speaking to herself aloud. And what if somebody overheard and misunderstood her again? But misunderstanding had nothing to do with the earlier encounter in the ladies' room. That was what she feared. Her next thought was to leave and save time to think up the strategy of her new intra-office investigation. During packing her stuff, she could not get rid of the nagging idea that someone possessed her silly secret. She flinched slightly when she thought, _Great, I will be the kinky Willows_. She rolled her eyes and stood up to leave but stopped, _Supervisor Willows, the pervert_ _sounds better, _she thought_. Pff, formality_. She felt even worse with the direction of her thoughts. Still, what would that fake-Sara think of her? And maybe, just maybe she could be lucky if that someone would not pass on the embarrassing information, which was made up a bit, anyway.

"Hey, I've just heard what happened tonight," Greg's cheery voice broke Catherine's agony.

"Already?" she cried.

"The whole Lab echoes it. What did you expect? It is a biggie!"

"Or very little of those who think it is funny," she said with rising anger.

"It made many people happy. I also think it is freakin' hilarious. This is something I'd like to try out once."

"Oh, can't we just forget about it?" Cath asked desperately making Greg baffled.

"Considering that I am working for a prestigious Lab, of course, I can forget to take a try. You know, formality."

This last crumb that Greg spread was Cath's undoing. She was furious now. How dare he…

"Look, if you pass this on to anybody in or outside of the Lab, -" she started to intimidate the young CSI when she saw his hurt expression. It was her fault after all and she could not blame anybody but herself. So she softened her voice and was about to speak again but Greg beat her to it.

"Catherine, I have been a CSI for a while now. I did my homework. I know that I can't speak about a running case. Why are you this angry?"

For the second time that same night, Cath felt faint. _He is talking about that damn case, not about me. _She recovered quickly.

"Yes, sorry, long day," she said. "What do you think about it, professionally?"

"I don't think they could get off for long. It is too risky, too predictable. However, we can't watch all soap operas, even if Henry would be hired exclusively for watching the series. The idea is unusual, though. People follow patterns like getting up, going to the kitchen to start coffee, then going to the bathroom when nature calls…" Greg shared his opinion in a very serious manner.

"No bathroom, please!"

"Everybody uses the toilet once a day…at least."

"I know," she said hotly but again she sweetened her voice and continued. "These activities are out of habit. Strictly following a pattern is different. Rather measured, planned and cold. In crime world, it certainly is.

"Well, as shift is over for a while now, it is legal to leave and follow a cold, measured and exhaustively planned pattern to our favorite diner to feed my needy stomach," Greg replied. "You in?"

"Yes, I'm starving. I've already sent everybody home, anyway. We will work on it tonight."

Both Catherine and Greg headed to the exit and Greg opened the door for her. She looked around subconsciously. Although, she felt much better than a few minutes earlier, she wanted to be outside of the building. ASAP. Greg provided her a human shield from curious eyes. No matter that nobody seemed to notice their departure. Cath began sinking into silence when Greg spooned her out of the unavoidable paranoia.

"Your treat?" Greg asked zealously.

"You know what? Yes, my treat."

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* * *

Sara arrived at the Lab an hour early for work. She thought it would be good to have some time to catch up with the guys. And before they would run in, she could read over the files again more thoroughly as she had just scanned through to get the gist last night. She had memorized the main points but she wanted to understand it better. So she went straight to the Briefing room after she had fished out the material she needed. Sara did not notice that the minutes had gone by but Greg's earnest greeting made her look up from the task that kept her attention engaged.

"Old habit, huh?"

"Well, it's good to see you, too," Sara greeted her friend with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah," he waved his hand nonchalantly, "so, you are already on clock?"

"Nope, just entertaining myself," she answered.

"Then stop whatever you are doing and tell me what's up with you."

"Evening, guys!" Nick said as he walked into the room and sat next to Sara spying on what she was working on.

Greg was not happy about the interruption but he knew that there would be another time when he could ask this beringed gal about her days in France. Sara smiled at Nick and automatically showed him the files of the burgling couple. Then she put them on the table and turned to Nick asking if he wanted a cup of coffee, too. Nick nodded and looked at Greg. They shared a conspiratorial glare and Greg felt that 'another time' arrived. Both men stood up and walked up to Sara. Nick was on her left and Greg was on her right. They were opening their mouths when Sara's cell went off. She grinned at the open mouthed CSIs knowing exactly what they wanted to do and Sara answered her phone. Greg thought it was not their 'another time' after all and sat back at the table.

"Sidle."

"Hi Sara, it's Catherine," the woman started. "I will be a little late; I'm stuck in traffic. Ten minutes and I'll be there."

"Okay." And with that she closed the phone.

"What happened?" Nick asked.

"Cath will be late but she said she would be here within four or five minutes," Sara lied. She thought if they knew that Cath would be here soon, they would not ask questions. _What a diverting action_, she congratulated herself.

"So we have a short time to ask what you two have been up to in Paris," Greg jumped once more on the possibility.

"Yes, so start talking, girl," Nick joined him smiling broadly this time.

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* * *

Catherine was reluctant to leave her car after she had finally driven into the parking lot. She had arrived at the Lab in time after all, so there was no need to run and she would not have run anyway. Formality. She thought she had been prepared for facing these people in the Lab again, knowing one of them knew her made-up tale, so she decided to deny everything or just say it happened to one of her friends. Unfortunately, gossips did not need to be based on truth inevitably. At the moment, she did not want to think of that option. Cath only wanted to find the mysterious woman and convince her to keep her untrue fiction private.

She squared her shoulders and headed to the entrance of the Lab. Within minutes, she was in the hallway and after greeting Judy she went to hand out assignments. Momentarily, Cath was almost forgetting about her situation when she heard the fat laughter. After a short hesitation, she slowly turned her face towards the voices and saw two men whom the noisy parade belonged to. Cath simply glared at them. Henry held both of his hands to his ears and his mouth formed a perfect 'O'. Hodges told him to primp his lips this or that way. She could not do this. She could not think that everybody was talking about her. It was insane. She felt she was going to go crazy. Every worker seemed suspicious but she just could not stand up on a podium and ask, _hey, ladies and gentlemen, who thinks I am a lip-pervert_. And most of all, she would not get an answer. Right, the only way to find out what their happiness was about was to pretend that she was interested in the test she had given Hodges last evening. She took a big breath and went to see if her 'test' was done. She soon stopped when Henry turned his monitor towards Hodges to show him a big fish, which really looked like Henry, and Cath felt silly when a name from day shift floated into her ears from Henry's mouth. There had been a picnic party at a lake near Vegas last week and day shift was very proud of their catches. Relieved, Cath went to meet their colleagues in the Briefing Room.

Neither Greg nor Nick was happy about the abrupt ending of their might-have-been inquiry to tease Sara, especially when she seemed to be willing to share some stories when Cath appeared in the doorway killing any further possibility for fun. They were quick with briefing, Nick and Sara were to continue their burglary case, Greg was solo this evening and Cath had to see the sheriff for updating him about their cases. Langston was at some seminar in LA and as this evening apparently promised to be another slow shift, it did not matter.

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* * *

After several hours, Sara called Catherine on her cell to ask her to meet Nick and her in the Break Room if she had some time. She said that they wanted to fill her in on what they found out about the weird case. Cath was free for a short conference. The meeting with the sheriff had gone well and she was happy. The woman left her sanctuary and moved along the corridor. Everything seemed normal, nobody looked at her smugly and nobody tried to stop her on the way to her destination. Well, this last fact puzzled her. _Why didn't anybody ask a question now_, she thought. Why did not a soul take a look at her? She shrugged her shoulders. She was not a paranoid person. And she did not want to be one in the future either.

"Sara? Nick?" the woman addressed her colleagues as she stepped into the room and sat down. "What do we know?"

"Okay, what we know is that it is a couple and they take only books and DVDs with them from every house they had broken into. They leave a VHS tape at every scene which contains an episode from a soap opera," Nick explained.

"And all tapes were left in a puddle of wine," Sara took over. "No violent behavior."

"Wait, yesterday you said soap operas, plural, not only one series," Cath said.

"We were wrong, it is only one series," Nick told her simply.

"And now we handle all three cases even if two of them were committed in other states. Why we?"

"They were investigated as separate cases till now because nobody recognized the connection and we are also uncertain about it yet," Nick started and added, "it looks simple by the way, if they really follow the plot of the show."

Sara took over the explanation again. "One crime is a crime, two crimes with similar characteristics are coincidences but three exact same MOs are suspicious enough. So Nick asked for all the files the other PDs had documented."

"Right, but why Vegas, why we?" the supervisor cut in again.

"We asked the same question at first. So Sara and I tried to find something, anything which could connect the three locations," Nick told Catherine.

"Hawaii, Utah and Nevada are not extremely far from each other but still, you can't travel so many miles in such a short time by car. That's why we started to check the passenger's lists. We first looked for names if there are same ones listed on the flights to and from the towns in question," Sara said but was interrupted by Nick.

"Nothing. Then we went through the destinations that the passengers had intended to reach from the first city in Hawaii. After that, we checked the next one and -,"

"And you used Venn-diagram to make the results more clear?" Cath asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," Sara affirmed her friend's guess and she summarized their findings. "And after mooning away a few hours, only one couple seems to fit the criteria."

"This couple arrived in Iwilei, Hawaii, and then flew to Bicknell, Utah and their last destination was Vegas, Nevada. Only these lovebirds followed this pattern," Nick stated with a proud smile.

"So we have their names after all?"

"Nah, it's not that easy. They changed their names every time, only their first name and the first letter of their surnames remained untouched," Sara explained with a grimace on her face.

"Great, burglary and forgery. What were their names during their sight-seeing journey?"

"**Paula** and **Hugo** **D**alnoki/**D**esewffy. In this order."

"One thing I don't understand. They had stolen lots of books. Where the hell do they store them?"

"Good point, we don't know yet," Nick answered Cath's question.

"So where can they be now? Still in Vegas? Or have they already left?"

"We don't know anything about the woman. But the male character in the soap opera was behind bars for 24 hours after he had stripped to his boxer at a mall," Sara offered the answer to Catherine.

"What? So he got a short-time imprisonment," Cath mused aloud shaking her head.

"Yes, and this episode ends with the man being released from jail and is on his way back to the USA to reunite with his wife who had taken care of the stolen books. Before you ask, yes, he had left the country to confuse the American police here. Um…according to the story-line. And what is more interesting is that there was a **Hugo** **D**ardos listed on a flight to -" Sara said but Cath became impatient and asked her a question before Sara had the time to finish her sentence.

"So which country?"

Sara started to be very excited and happy when she replied, "If our theory is right, as the fictional character went to France, um…Paris to be exact, and this so-suspicious-soon-our-suspect-will-be Dardos also went to that city two days ago."

"Paris? He went THERE just to humbug the police HERE? Is he insane or just an obsessed traveler?"

"Seems so, and I already called Grissom to ask him to check his connection with the local PDs for a certain Hugo Dardos. And yes, there was indeed a man with this name charged for inappropriate behavior in a supermarket but he is already free and since then he got out of sight. Gil thinks he must be on his way back to the USA, and Gris said that he was going to take a visit here and help us out until before his next lectures begin next month," Sara tried to hide her joyfulness at this welcomed turn of events but failed visibly. She was too happy to see her husband again and so soon.


	4. The Flight

Chapter Four

Two days after Sara's call, Grissom was at the crowded airport of Paris. The spacious terminal of Charles de Gaulle was full of excited passengers. Some travelers were afraid of flying while some just feared missing their flights. Gil Grissom was a calm man by nature but today, he felt unusual excitement. He was going to see his wife in about half a day. At least he hoped nothing would interfere with his plans. The ticket was more expensive than he had expected but he did not care. He felt lucky because he had managed to find and book a decent flight to Vegas within such a short time. The truth was that he had tried very hard to have his ticket. Not because of the case, no, not at all, he had been enthusiastic because of his wife. The case was a perfect excuse for him to visit his love. So he inwardly thanked this bonkers for his illogical detour to Europe.

Once he passed through the checkpoint, he went to the designated boarding area and gate to wait for his plane. Gil sat down on a leather-bottomed bench and suddenly a panic hit him. He mentally drew up an inventory of the contents in his suitcase and then relaxed as he remembered putting the little gift into it that he had purchased for Sara earlier that day.

Grissom was sitting on that bench observing people to kill the time when he heard his flight announcement. He got to his feet and headed towards the appropriate gate and finally, he reached his seat on the plane without any trouble. He was satisfied to find the seat next to his unoccupied and hoped that it would remain that way. He seated himself into the comfortable chair and automatically reached for the safety instructions hiding in the small pocket of the back-rest of the chair in front of him. He did not really read that brief dos & don'ts; it was just a habit people seemed to follow whenever they stepped aboard.

The plane was almost full of its passengers, so Gil was pleased with the fact that he would travel in relative peace as nobody claimed the seat beside him. The constant noises that the aircraft generated could be irritating; but Gris found that sound much more pleasant than humans' voices right next to his ears. Gilbert Grissom was a happy man.

In the nick of time, a middle-aged man hurried along the aisle passing by Gil's row but stopped still, then turned back and in the end, he slumped into the empty seat next to the now less happy man. Gil looked at him but just as soon looked away. The gentleman was panting and laughing. _Typical physiological reaction_, Gil thought but he was not into smelling this guy's breath so Grissom watched intently the frame of the squared little window of the plane instead. Most of the large aircrafts have sound systems built in. Many of the newer ones also have built-in TV systems for movies and infomercials. Grissom's eyes frantically searched the area for any, hoping that those installations would engage his neighbor.

Just before the plane started moving, the air conditioning had momentarily shut off and the cabin lights blinked once or twice. Then the captain introduced himself and the rest of the flight crew then welcomed his passengers, he went on to say their destination, the expected weather conditions on the route, then the planned cruising altitude, and at the end of his speech he stated that they were ready for take-off.

As the boring speech ended, Grissom immediately closed his eyes keeping the other guy from starting a conversation that Gil was sure the younger man was about to initiate.

"Are you visiting someone in New York?" the man asked Grissom.

With a quiet groan, Gris opened his eyes and answered kindly, "No."

The guy continued watching him prompting Gil to expand his monosyllabic reply, so Gil shared one more pieces of information. "I'll change planes in New York to a connecting flight."

At this point, Grissom got interested. He wanted to know if there was any chance to get rid of this you-know-I-am-friendly-but-will-be-talking-to-you-until-landing figure. He prayed for this god dam man being a New Yorker. If this man was supposed to fly to Las Vegas, just as he was, well, Grissom was willing to modify his plans.

"You?" Gil asked tentatively.

"Me, too," he said with a warm smile tagging at his lips and added, "I meet my wife at the airport and we will continue our journey together."

Grissom got hot under the collar but managed to sound calm and kind. _No way will I accompany myself Mr. and Mrs. Perpetuum Mobile_, Gil swore inwardly but said, "You planned on a long fly?"

"Nah, we are going to travel to Albany."

Suddenly, Grissom's mood lifted along with the plane. Many hours, locked up with this guy could not be that horrible. _I will pretend being extremely tired and he will leave me alone_, he thought.

"Are you married, too?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you married?" the man repeated his question for Grissom.

"Um…yes."

_Great, the next "welcomed" question __will be if I have kids._

"I won't ask if you have any children that would be very importunate of me and pretty private for a question from a guy you've just met, right?" the brown-haired man with slight grey curls acknowledged between laughter.

"And I'm grateful for your courtesy."

"Ah, so you don't have any," he laughed and said, "but you know, at your age…"

"Do you have any degrees?" Grissom interrupted the man with his angry shot.

"What? You think I'm a moron?"

"Nope, I thought this was a game of 'guess what the other one lacks'," Grissom returned. "Why? You know, at your age…"

"Oh, I see. You want me to enjoy the rest of the journey with keeping my own company. Okay, I…I just…never mind, I just wanted to be friendly."

"Thank you," Grissom articulated.

"No problem, buddy, I know when to quit."

"I see and I appreciate it," and with that Grissom closed his eyes again.

After settling down in a comfortable position, Grissom was enjoying the monotone humming of the jet which provided him the false sense of isolation where his mind freely played back his favorite fantasy about Sara. That fantasy which had become reality a long time ago; but still felt as if it was a dream; a very hot dream. After a short agitating hesitation, he decided to choose another fantasy with his wife. This was not the place he wanted to risk a possible embarrassment. So he relaxed and recalled the soft texture of her lips slowly caressing his. She had very delicious lips. So natural, so beautifully shaped. And the taste of them was incredible. His imaginary hands inched south and cupped her breasts earning a deep moan from Sara. Her responsiveness always had the same effect on him. Always. Oh-oh, 'this' always was really real. He took a deep breath and concentrated on kissing his Sara when…

"By the way, I do have a degree. Two actually. One in Biology and one in Math."

Grissom's eyes flew open. On the one hand, he was pissed because the man started his entertainment again but on the other hand, he was surprised. _This creature was a scientist?_ He started to like him. And only one hour and a half left until landing in NYC.

The only reaction the younger man got was an "Oh".

"I bet you are some honored professor at some prestigious university," he guessed.

"Um…yep, I am. I'm guest-lecturing at the Sorbonne. I'm an entomologist," Grissom said proudly, "I take it you know what it means."

"Oh, look, now you think I know something," the man remarked with pretended hurt in his voice but he clearly was amused.

"I've never said otherwise."

"And how is it that a successful entomologist professor, like you, has got married only recently?"

Grissom narrowed his eyes and felt very hot. He instinctively looked down at his pants but saw nothing that betrayed his day-dreaming earlier. Then what?

"Why do you think I've got married lately?"

"You were playing with your shiny ring on your finger and were smiling like a cat that ate the canary," the nosy guy ventured. "When you pretended sleeping a short time ago. Not that I was watching you."

"Well, you're right." Gil smiled and was amazed by the observation this scientist made. He liked this man.

"She is much younger, isn't she?"

Grissom started to dislike the man again.

With a sigh he asked, "And you think it because?"

"As I said you were playing with your ring that looks new, you said I'm right. It is your first marriage, right?"

Gil nodded. "And the last one."

"So, middle-aged man, geek, freshly married…for the first time…ergo, she must be a young wife. That is the pattern, dude."

Grissom did not like the direction of the conversation. Who was this guy to judge him?

"Sara is not that younger."

"Oh, Sara. Nice name."

"The most beautiful I've ever heard. And she is not that younger."

"Right. But younger."

"I'm not Ramses from a tomb either."

"He actually rests at the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, not in a tomb"

"Thanks for the clarification, at least now I know where to go home."

"Hey, I've never said you are old. You look great, my friend, and an energetic marriage can revitalize a tired man, you know," he reassured Grissom with little success.

_Your friend? Since when do we chum up with each other? I am momentarily planning how to catapult you __out of the plane without being noticed. And what do you know about it, huh? Sara is young, alright, but she is not a little girl. Sure, you are married to a granny. _He mentally grabbed the guy and introduced him to his fist, then asked.

"Where does your knowledge come from if I may ask?"

"My wife is also younger than me. And we have a stronger relationship than some other couples have who are closer in age. So you are a lucky man, too. Congratulation."

Gil took out an imaginary first aid kit and started to clear the injuries of this poor man, he had dreamt to inflict upon him previously. But he still did not like him. And he still kept his finger on the fictitious catapult button.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr.….um…Mr.?" he told Grissom offering a hand for him.

It was unbelievable. They were minutes from landing and Gris did not notice how they had arrived so soon. He blinked a few time and accept the hand to shake.

"Grissom, and it was nice to meet you, too. Mr.….?" Gil prompted him.

"Deveny."

After the plane landed, the two men bade farewell to each other again and went towards their own destination. Gil had to hurry because there was no time for looking-around or detouring to the toilet. He regretted not visiting that little cabin on the plane but he had been occupied. And if he was really honest with himself, he would have to admit that he had indeed enjoyed talking with that slightly irritating biologist or physicist or both. And yes, he was lucky to have Sara as his wife. Sara. Pronouncing her name made his steps quicker. He would see her soon. Only a few states were what separated them and well, five more long hours give or take. Before he could depress himself, he was on the next flight to Las Vegas. The town where he had been living for over 20 years; the same city he had left only a few months ago. The town that now was temporary housing his lovely woman. The woman who would wait for him at McCarran. He could not wait holding her again. Right after he placed his carry-on luggage onto his seat, he went to the toilet to make the upcoming journey enjoyable. He came back to his chair and settled down. This time he had no neighbors on either side of him. He did not mind at all, he could use the nap. The engines roared up and before Gil had any time to think about how thrilled he was about to meet Sara and the gang again, he had fallen asleep. The next feeling which shook him awake was the weird feeling of the descending plane. First, he heard the voices of other passengers and then the noises of the braking tires. He opened his eyes and his heart beat faster. Here he was. In Las Vegas.

He unfastened his seatbelt and followed the other people out of the now motionless metal-bird. Less than a week elapsed since he last saw Sara and it was unusual for him to be this frantic. He went to the luggage reclaim carousel to collect his suitcases and turned to scan the river of people waiting for the arriving passengers. His eyes spotted the grinning young brunette in the crowd without difficulty.

For Sara, to catch the sight of her cute man was like a movie slowed down and was played frame by frame. Every movement of this man moved the sexy wife within her. In their delirious state of delight, everybody and everything stopped existing around them. Sara could not take a step; she was just standing there with her mouth and eyes wide open. She could hardly prevent drooling. An old music entered her mind and she unconsciously started to hum. For some reason, the other waiting people found it safer to meet their beloved in some distance. Sara did not notice it and if she did, she did not care. The steady rhythm of Shaggy's 'Mr. Bombastic' ruled her senses.

"What you want is some boombastic romantic fantastic lover," she sang and she got almost hypnotized by her bearded man who was now in front of her smirking.

"Gal you captivate my body put me under a spell;

With your cus cus perfume I love your sweet smell;

You are the only young girl that can ring my bell," Gil recited Shaggy's words but refrained from singing them. He was well aware of those glares coming from the others who clearly thought they were some crazy couple. Plus, he hated this song so much that he almost found the whole situation entertaining.

Ignoring the strange glances, he placed his hands around Sara's shoulders and pulled her close to him. Sara practically purred into his neck. She breathed his clear scent in and suddenly, she felt complete and alive again. They could not wait any longer and claimed each other's lips for a very inappropriate-in-public welcome kiss. After coming up for oxygen, Grissom looked at Sara with a worry plastered on his face.

"You ok?" he asked her still holding her in his embrace.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"You taste different," Grissom told her.

She was horrified. She had not eaten anything with garlic or radish that could make her breath bad, she looked stunned. And very embarrassed.

"I have to check again," and without a word, Gil started to kiss her once more with released passion.

"Damn you, I thought…" she started but could not finish as her husband's lips were glued to hers; making her forget whatever she wanted to say.

"Hmm, just as I remembered, you taste like heaven, my dear," he said but was rewarded with a snap onto his butt.

"Hello sexy!"

"Hello dear!"

Hand in hand, Sara and Grissom left the building of McCarran. She asked him about his flight but Gil was more interested in the program she had planned for them until they had to go in for work the next evening. They had not put their townhouse up for sale yet, so they did not have to worry about renting an apartment during their or rather, her stay in Vegas. They had talked about converting the property into money but the market had been too stagnant to make the selling reasonable. Stepping into the cool house felt like as if they had gone back in time. Most of their things were in their original places; the smell, the sight, everything felt home. He felt home. With her in it. They felt complete.


	5. Private Earthquake

Chapter Five

"Do you want me to make something for dinner?"

"Yes, please. Wait…no, it's okay. The only thing I want right now is to take a shower, then go to bed."

"When was the last time you had a full meal?" Sara asked Gil.

"I ate a sandwich on the first plane and then a complete dish on the flight to Vegas. Don't worry, dear," he reassured Sara who insisted to prepare something for them anyway.

"Ok. Go, take a shower or have a bath, sleep for a while; I am going to make something light ready by the time you'll have woken up."

"I didn't mean sleeping when I mentioned going to bed."

"Baby, you need to sleep after this long journey. I will be here when you wake up," she told him smirking.

"What about you? You also need to rest…after the long shift," Grissom tried to convince Sara to join him in their soft bed. He was indeed exhausted, but he did not want to spend his first night back in Vegas alone. Even if not being alone meant only sleeping together, literally.

"I'd slept before I drove to the airport to pick you up. I'm fresh as a teenager."

"Ah, so you think just because I'm not as young as you are, I have to sleep before having a little kissing party?" he pouted.

"You've not mentioned any kissing party up till now. But you can have some welcome-home kisses after having that bath, okay?"

"Right," he said defeated, "how about some motivations?"

Although Sara knew he must have been bone tired, this was one of his expressions that he made that she could not resist. She loved playing this game. Sara breezed into his inviting arms without a word and placed her lips onto his. And she motivated him, deeply motivated her hubby until they both needed air to breathe. Sara pulled back to see how he felt about the sparkling kiss and was satisfied with the result. Grissom felt more alive now. He was watching her face for a long moment, he just wanted to know if she would change her mind but was not satisfied with the result, so he loosened his embrace and turned to go into the bathroom when something made him jump.

"Hey!"

"Toot-toot," Sara imitated a car's horn as she gripped her husband butts, then she moved quickly away to escape from his grasp.

"Seriously, you have a fetish for my ass," he faked a complaint but was already about to grab and pull her back into his arms for a hot kiss. "What if it really voiced a toot-toot?"

"I'd say it sounds good, a kind of um…f-ART," she cooed him as she stepped farther from him giggling. "I can't help, lover, but you have the sexiest ass I've ever seen. So tight, so smooth, so…I could bite it," she purred in safe distance.

"Tight? A jerk on the plane to New York said I could be a mummy!"

"What? Like Ramses?" Sara hinted and she could not keep a straight face as the first bubble of laughter burst out of her.

"Why Ramses? And why are you laughing?" Grissom retorted.

"I don't know, he was the first old fart who popped into my mind. What's your problem with him?"

"The maniac on the flight said the same." Grissom did not realize at this moment that he had been the one who had called himself Ramses. He was hurt by being called a mummy at all. No matter, he had called him that way in the first place.

"Why do you care what that guy said? You will never see him again. Just forget it, honey," she suggested and stepped closer to him. "You are everything but an ancient buddy with withered butts."

"I'm not feeling any better, you know. You should be more convincing."

"Did you let him touch your beautiful buttocks?" Sara was practically crooning into his neck with her hands inching towards his cheeks in question.

"Hell, no. And by the way, why do you think it was a male?"

"Was it a woman?"

"No, it was a guy and nope, he didn't touch my…any part of my body," he groaned when Sara grabbed his very attractive un-mummy-like arse.

"Good, because it has an inscription saying _All Rights Reserved_."

"I don't know if it is still visible, dear, you should take a look at it," he implied with eyes batting.

"I will check after your shower. We don't want the water to wash it away, do we? I have to see if the label is waterproof."

"Alright. I'm going then. See you in a few, dear," he answered her and turned once again to head to the bathroom.

Sara went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She was still snickering at the thought of him being pissed at the silly passenger. She wished she had been there and seen his face. Or better, she would have given a piece of her mind to him. She was sitting there for long minutes thinking about a light meal she had promised Grissom but nothing appealing entered her mind. Ordering a meal this evening was not an option. She wanted to prepare something delicious with meat for him. She played with the idea of making an Egyptian dish, but thought better not to tease him any further. She decided to make a nice steak with salad. Simple but he loved it. After having marinated the meat, she looked at the clock on the wall and was surprised to find that almost an hour had passed since their parting words before his shower. The steady rhythm of the water's flow and the preparation had lulled her but now she became worried, so she left everything and went to check on her lover. Sara was slowly and quietly opening the door of their bedroom and saw that Grissom was sleeping soundly. She smiled at the image of him half naked in bed with the quilt hardly covering him.

Maybe he was not a model type but he definitely had something that built a fire in her heart from the moment she had laid her eyes on him years ago. Probably many people would have said that he was a stocky man with a weird way of walking. And probably they would have been right. He could make any cowboys envious of his legs. But Sara just loved them the way they were. His loose trousers hid his amazingly shaped buttocks that could look unbelievably hot in jeans. And Sara just loved them in both choices of clothes. His waist perhaps looked thick for negligent eyes and possibly a bit fatty but Sara thought that men's waist should be broader than women's. It could be frustrating when a guy could hide behind his girl's waist. That was a no-no for her. She referred to it as a well-built waist. So Sara just loved it as rounded as it was. What a waste for hungry eyes when he wore those jackets. His perfect chest was so wide and broad, absolutely muscular. Not only could Sara see it whenever she wanted to but also taste it every time they made love. His shoulders were made for her. Sara stored her dentist records tattooed on his shoulders. She felt extremely lucky. Therefore, Sara just loved his chest and shoulders the way they were. Grissom's neck was beautiful but a forbidden area. Placing kisses on it or licking the sensitive skin was okay but no lasting marks. So Sara just had to love it the way he let her. The sight and smell of his sexy hair made his wife a longing little tigress. But his lips were her real undoing. They were a sight for sore eyes. Sometimes men looked like as if they had no lips at all, just a line where their lips should be. Thus, Sara just loved them the way they were shaped, so full, so soft.

She did not know how long she was standing there worshiping her sleeping husband but after a while her back started to protest. Not wanting to disturb Gil, Sara tiptoed out of the doorway and left the door ajar. After a few glances back, smiling, she went back to finish the preparation of their dinner. Gil would have a big steak and she would eat fried tofu. The salad would please both of them.

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* * *

In the Lab, the cases came and went. The team was busy as usual but they could hold the fort even without Langston and Sara. All of them were excited about Grissom's visit. Hodges had gone crazy when he had first heard about it. However, he had found it startling that Gris would take the trouble to fly over here for a case. For a case that was not on the team's priority list. He had stood dumbfounded in his beloved lab when Greg had informed him that he had to be naïve if he had thought that Gris would have come because of the case. At first, Hodges had not got what Greg had meant but after an hour of thinking, it had hit him. Well, it was the news he needed to share with Wendy.

"Have you heard the big news?" he asked the brunette.

"Which one?" Wendy shot back.

"I didn't know there were so many. I meant Grissom's visit."

"He is visiting Sara, yes. And by the way, he will take a look at the "soap-case", too," she stated it as common knowledge.

Both Hodges and Wendy smiled at each other. Sharing this so-called secret was a perfect excuse for Hodges to see this young woman. They were talking when Cath appeared in the doorway and was about to ask Wendy about a test she had given her yesterday. As the interrupted couple turned around, both people's eyes landed on Cath's glossing lips. Hodges looked at Wendy and she looked at him. Neither of them knew how to tell Cath what they saw.

Cath knew exactly where they were looking at and felt hot. _So it was Wendy in the ladies' room_, she thought and immediately sucked both of her lips into her mouth. This, normally self-confident woman found the whole situation absurd and awkward. She had learned the lesson, so she did not want to jump to conclusions right away. Her situation could not be any worse anyway. She would simply ask about the case and pretend not realizing that it was Wendy who had squeezed her secret out of her four days ago. She would talk with her in private when Hodges was not present. And if this woman had shared this sad story with Hedgehodges, then it would be Wendy's job to fix it.

She entered the lab and asked, "Wendy, any results on…"

"Your lip…um…," Hodges started to say something but burst into laughter. "Sorry."

Not having any solid evidences, she decided to remain calm, and asked them as kindly as she could, "What?"

"Were you kissing…" Hodges started again with a more serious expression, "…Mr. Choco Cham?" Hodges joked pointing his forefinger to his own upper lip.

"Uh…seems so," Cath laughed with them after she regained her natural color then checked her reflection in one of those metal plates and she wiped the remnants of the chocolate bar she had eaten earlier off her lips.

It was odd when someone had a problem with a certain thing; fate seemed to be throwing those certain things in their faces in every corner of the world. If one had a broken leg, then they would meet a dozen of men with broken legs on their way home. Cath laughed away her returned paranoia and then she also found the situation funny. She wanted to know the identity of the owner of her darned secret.

"Here is the test, I hope it helps," Wendy announced as she held out her hand with the test paper in it.

"Thanks, it helps…my case at least," she thanked her and mentally added to herself, _but not ME_.

"Catherine," Hodges called before she left, "when will Grissom come in?"

"Tomorrow, why?"

"I just don't want him to miss my greeting."

"I think that would be impossible."

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* * *

Grissom had been asleep for the last six hours and Sara decided that she had missed him long enough, so she stood up from the couch and headed towards their bedroom. She switched off each light on her way to the room and smiled at the thought of kissing every inch of her spouse in order to wake him up. Maybe the taste of her kisses would whet his appetite for dinner. _But food can wait a little longer_, she thought. Sara herself could not. She opened the door but saw little in the dark room, so she groped her way to the bed. She climbed onto the mattress but found the bed empty. Groaning inwardly, she sat on her knees and pondered on her next move. She did not have time for anything to think out because the door to the bathroom was being opened and a half naked Grissom stood in the doorway startled for a moment to find her in bed. Sara narrowed her eyes to see him better but only a dark figure could be seen. Grissom smiled at her knowing she could hardly see his face, but he grinned nonetheless. He slowly approached the bed - his sleepiness long forgotten.

"I'm sorry, dear; I closed my eyes only for a second. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Only a rested discoverer can find new untamed territories," she murmured between chuckles. "So I heard."

"Well, let me study my map," and Gil gently pushed Sara onto her back and started to undo the buttons of her shirt.

"But Mr. Grissom, do you have visa to enter this area?"

Gil flashed his ring on his finger and continued to undress her wordlessly. He took his time, and enjoyed every second of it.

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked him huskily. "I made dinner for us."

"Yes, I am," and he went to kiss her right wrist, "and starving for this food you've just served, dear."

"It will get cold…" she said with closed eyes. "I prepared meat for ya."

"Exactly and I am going to eat up 'this' while it is extremely hot," and he blew her slim wrist after he caressed the flesh with his tongue.

He looked up for a minute to admire her naked form and a playful smile tagged his lips. Gil lifted his hand and formed a little man with his fore- and middle finger who made his way down on her nude body. Sara giggled at every step the "finger-man" made. He was at her ankles in a minute.

"Your feet are cold as ice. So…it must be Antarctica. This little traveler leaves this place very quickly," and with a kiss onto her either foot, he went up on her leg.

"Yeah, you're too hot yourself, Captain Cook. Come up here, big-boy!" Sara ordered.

"Patience, lover, remember?"

"No."

"Do you think I should spend some time in Australia?" Gil asked as he kissed her right ankle.

"No."

"Alright. But that country is amazing. This cute tattoo on this ankle must be some abstract pattern made by an Aboriginal. Let's see what else I can find on this ambrosial map," and he licked his way up to her knees.

"Hurry, please, this map is burning."

Gil watched her face as he placed his forefinger in front of his middle one, perfectly imitating a walking miniaturized human. They stared into each other's eyes both burning with love. He caressed her hip on her left.

"Whoa, I think this path leads to China," but then he stopped his hand, not wanting to go any farther towards her waist just yet. "I'd rather go this way."

The tickling fingers went back southward a few steps on her hip and Gil stopped again. He looked up at Sara's face waiting for her reaction. As she did not protest, he went on with his exploration.

"After crossing Thailand," with that he left her hip and was about to reach his desired destination, her crotch, "the hot and wet jungle of India invites me for an expedition," as he commented his movements, he gently brushed her sex.

"Jungle, huh?" she smacked his shoulders playfully, "are you sure that you can read maps?"

"Map. Singular. So I have a modern interactive map?" he teased her and asked, "so tell me what can I find if I go this way?"

Gil's little "finger-guy" galloped to her right hip to tickle her there. Sara's hips jerked up and she laughed hard and said, "A little bit more northwards, honey, and you are in Egypt," immediately as the words left her mouth, she knew Cairo was not the place he was looking for tonight. She opened her eyes to see how much damage had been done.

"Are you holding the torch for that Ramses guy?"

"He was desired, sexy…wise like you, babe."

"The poor adventurer is hurt, he is going back to Australia," he said jokingly to Sara who opened her eyes even wider.

"Noooo, get on a damn rocket and get your ass here, right now, Gilbert!"

Grissom laughed at her impatience and said, "I have to know where to land, sweetheart."

Sara was beside herself, "Look for two perky hills in Europe and land on them, just do it now!"

Sara arched her back and shook her tits pointedly to catch Grissom's attention. This time, he left the "finger-man" in India while he himself took the advice and successfully found the hills that offered both of them so much pleasure. After he conquered both hills and leaving his special marks on their peaks as evidence of his victory, he resumed his journey northwards.

When he kissed her neck, he stopped, ""What are those on your neck? It looks like a hickey. Was it me?"

"No, sweets, it was Mr. Ramses, remember him?"

"Hmm…you will pay for it," he threatened her and licked her fading bruise there to soothe the redness.

"I've already paid for it. Cath was worse than an ancient shadow from any mystical legends."

"I'll make it up to you…" No more coherent words left his mouth that night.

He kissed his way up to her lips and Sara was there waiting for his mouth with eagerness. They both knew that there was no return from that point. His boxer briefs were discarded soon then Sara and Grissom created a private earthquake that struck Las Vegas.


	6. Couples in action

Chapter Six

It was a beautiful and sunny day; it almost called for people to take a trip or to go for a drive. The roads were not crowded, though. At least the one that a tenacious couple had chosen was not. Paula and Hugo were driving a black Nissan that they had just bought yesterday. Paula had insisted to buy a car that was not so classy that would attract attention. Hugo had been clearly disappointed with the choice since there had been many beauties waiting for him to touch, to care about or rather to buy and then to pamper. Paula had knitted her eyebrows wondering whom her husband had loved more. That time she had won. And Hugo, of course, had understood his wife's reasons. They were so close to complete their mission so neither of them wanted to risk its success.

"My ass fell asleep hours ago," the young woman complained.

"We can't stop every hour or so just because your ass decides it needs a massage."

"Oh, don't be so mean, just look around! The scenery is incredible. We should stop to breathe some fresh air, take some photos of these wonderful plants," after her husband did not react, she went on, "come on, you're a biologist after all."

"Yes, I am and I also know who YOU are. So I won't stop. If you need fresh air, then pull down the window."

"Babe, I will be quick…promise," Paula murmured into her man's ear.

"We have no time for this, honey. We wasted so much precious time for replacing your little toys. Be happy and please, for five minutes…keep quiet."

"What? You're saying I'm talking a lot? Who can't shut his mouth during even a short flight?"

"I hate planes and you know it. Just think about it. It's abnormal to travel in a hermetically closed box."

"This car is also closed, so we need to stop," sensing a weak spot in her husband's reasoning Paula added.

"No. This box is on the ground, not so high up in the sky."

"I can make you feel as if you were in the sky," she purred.

"I have to concentrate on driving, babe. And we have to leave this state ASAP."

"I know but I'm bored. If we had taken a plane, we wouldn't have to sit hours…no wait, days in a damn car."

"We can't fly anymore. It'd be too risky. It's amazing we could manage to make it so many times."

"I know. I've never thought it would be this easy. Still, I have to occupy my hands. Either way…"

"Okay, you win. But we need to be back on the road in twenty minutes, understand?"

"Yes, sir," she laughed and her spirit was already lifting.

Hugo carefully maneuvered their car off the motorway at the first slip road. He soon parked the Nissan near a little meadow. Paula practically flew out of the car and went straight to its trunk to gather the tools she needed. She was tempted by the two bottles of wine Hugo had kept in safe during the drive. She reached for each but stopped and after caressing the bottles, she closed the lid with a thud. Hand in hand, they walked to a bench and sat down. Hugo looked at her and asked her if she was ready to start. She nodded and after a short hesitation, she got out one of her toys as her husband called them.

"Were you careful with the bottles, weren't you? We need both."

"I didn't even touch them," she said in a very robotic voice, clearly indicating that she was tired of answering this question.

"Oookay. Are the VHS tapes in the box?"

"I didn't check but where else would they be? I know both the wine and the tapes are important. I'm not an idiot. Now, let's do what we stopped for…"

"You are so good at this, my love. Just be a little gentler," Hugo instructed her and added, "yes, that's it. Up and down. Good, you have magic hands."

"Babe, I know how to use paintbrushes. Why don't you take some photos of your beloved plants while I'm doing the outlines?"

With a smile on his face, Hugo left his artistic wife to herself and he went to conquer the meadow's micro-flora. He loved his job more than anything else in the world and his heart hardened at the thought of their mission. They had to hold on and after they accomplished it, they had to move on. He hoped they could. A small, green and grey grasshopper interrupted his train of thoughts. It jumped onto his knee and just watched him. Or Hugo believed that it was watching him. He gently caught it and brought the little creature to his woman. Paula had been so busy that she did not notice her husband approaching. As Hugo was about to show her the insect, the young bride looked up and yelled in her surprise.

"Oh my god! What is it?" as the result of her yell, the grasshopper jumped onto the canvas she had used for her painting and left a colorful pattern on it.

"Honey, it was just a hopper, you scared it."

"You know I hate insects. God! My pulse…and my canvas…" she gulped with mixed fear and anger. "Why didn't show this monster to your entomologist friend on the New York flight?"

"First, I didn't have it then, and I can hardly call him my friend."

"But you were talking to him, right? You have your cute charm," she smiled at him.

"I doubt it worked on him. I think he didn't like me. He was rude at first, and then he became friendlier. Oh, and I think you'd have liked him. He also loves Egypt."

"Egypt is wonderful. He should bring his wife there."

"If he is really married."

"He said he was. Why would anybody lie about things like this?"

"Come on, honey, people at his age with this kinda profession? Is there any woman who has the stomach…"

"You're evil. Your meat-eating plant isn't as desirable as you think it is, either, and I'm still here."

"True but he ignored me entirely. I needed to talk to someone. I was claustrophobic. And he.."

"Why do you care now? You will never meet Mr.…um….What was his name?"

Hugo was still hurt. He always tried to be friendly with everybody. And he so often had to face rude responses or complete ignorance. He tried to recall his name. It was unusual. Some Mr. Crimson or Mr. Greenson. He closed his eyes and wished the memories of that flight to come back.

"_It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr.….um…Mr.?"_

"_**Grissom**__, and it was nice to meet you, too. Mr.….?"_

"_Deveny."_

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* * *

Thousands of miles away from Hugo and Paula, another brilliant day greeted the residents of Las Vegas. The roads and streets were crowded as usual. Lots of people preferred walking to driving, still, Sara and Grissom were trapped in one of the long snake-like rows of cars. Sara had called Catherine on her cell two days ago if she had been needed in the Lab. Cath had reassured her that the team could deal with the cases without her assistance. Sara loved working for the Lab this way. No strict schedule, no pressure. At the same time, she was not that kind of a person who misused the position she was in. Three days with her husband had been a bonus but now they both headed to the Lab.

Sara was excited while Grissom was nervous. During their breakfast they had agreed on that they would act naturally, but both of them had been giggling at the thought of them being a married couple. It felt so right, then why were they behaving like teenagers? After all, this was the first time they would meet their friends and colleagues as a married couple. Perhaps that could explain Sara's delight and Grissom's pride. They had done it.

"Are you nervous?" Sara asked Grissom.

"No. Why would I?"

"You'll meet your ex. I'd be nervous," she said grinning. The word 'ex' caught his attention and this time he could not hide his nervousness.

"My ex? Honey, you are my past, my present and my future. Who are you talking about?"

"The only one who has kept you from me for ages."

Grissom considered himself a sharp-witted man but at the moment he was clueless. "I have to concentrate on driving, sweetheart, so..."

"The traffic is dead," she loved teasing Grissom. He was so adorable when he had no idea what she was talking about. "Don't feel bad, I love her, too. I'm working for her again."

"Cath? Are you crazy?"

"Who is talking about Cath? But it's good to know your first thought is her," she was openly laughing at him now. Seeing that she was not upset, he relaxed but he still wanted to know who she was referring to.

"Look, Sara, either you tell me who it is you think I was in love with or…just tell me!"

"I meant the Lab. That bitch bewitched you, lover. And what's more interesting, I fell in love with her, too. I still do. Am I a lesbian then?"

A slight horrific look appeared on his face; Grissom searched her face for any symptoms of insanity. She looked normal. Sara could not keep her pretended straight expression any longer, and burst into laughter.

"Are you jealous?" he asked his spouse teasingly.

"I was."

Sensing that her mood had changed, he decided to change the topic as well.

"Did you take the bottles of wine into the car? Are they stored safely?"

"Oh, the famous French wine. Yes, I did. I did even caress them. Happy now?"

"The videotape about our wedding?"

"Still at home, don't worry. I don't know why you don't want them to watch it. That cute pigeon conveyed his congratulation in its own exclusive way."

"I wonder how you would have felt if that "cute" feather ball, that had been nodding like an electrified jell-o, would have pooped on YOUR head…as its way of congratulation…and then its stinky product would have poured down YOUR face the exact way that that flying beast had done to ME…hell, pigeons are not better than rats with wings, so no, the team will never see that tape."

"You're mean. You were cute, sweet and sexy."

"Then, I don't want Hodges to see me sexy, okay?"

Just as a cue, the traffic came to life and Grissom's attention was again on the road. Almost. Sara sank into her seat and rested her left hand on his thigh. She tried very hard to be a good girl and not to rub his knee. They both wanted to get to the Lab safe and sound.

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* * *

In the Lab, everybody seemed more excited than usual. And this time they were not on the edge because their shift had just ended but they all knew that their former boss would take a short visit today. Grissom wanted to see them before the next shift started this evening. He thought that visiting them right before their shift's end in the morning would leave them too tired to ask many questions or - God forbid - to hug him. They would greet each others, shake hands, pat backs, smile until their faces would go numb and then he would be free. So he would be friendly. Good plan. Grissom was thankful to Sara for making him more sociable during the years.

"Excuse me for disturbing you in your enchanting experiment, Catherine; I'd like to ask if you know when Grissom will arrive?" Hodges was too thrilled to keep his curiosity hidden when he asked Cath.

"My shift's over, Hodges, I'm just reading my mags."

"That's why I said enchanting. You can read those papers as if they were some issues from - ," he said trying hard to please Cath, but was interrupted by the subject of his praise.

"Hodges, these are actually issues from a forensic magazine. Don't dig deeper. Save your energy for Gris. He is on his way here, just to answer your question."

"Thanks. I knew to whom I had to go for accurate information."

Cath rolled her eyes and stood up. She went to the ladies' room to refresh her makeup leaving the happy Hodges behind. She was amused by the level of his devotion to Grissom. Under his unfriendly mask, Hodges had a serious inferiority complex. He could even be handsome if he did not try to cover his defect with arrogance_. If I were pervert – that I'm not – I would think he is in love with Grissom, the genius – not with the man called Gris, of course_, Cath thought. She smiled to herself and closed the door of the bathroom behind her. As each day after that fateful day, Cath kept silent in the restroom. She wanted to remain anonymous in that darn room. Giving up on figuring out the identity of the person who tricked her to open up and fabricate a fake story was not an option. It was now personal. This someone had to be some discrete woman. No way, another kind of woman could keep it a low profile. _So I need to catalog all women who are discrete and can keep secrets. Easy, there are not many women in the Lab who are like me_, she thought. Satisfied with her plan, Cath adjusted her attire and stepped to the mirrors for doing her next task.

_xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx__xx CSI xx_

* * *

Into the Lab's parking lot, was a silver car pulling up. It had never taken so much time to get to the Lab. Grissom took it as an omen. He even suggested to Sara that they should go home. She laughed at him and told Gil that she knew that he only wanted to be with her again instead of being here, or this was the only acceptable excuse for his behavior. After a short hesitation, they continued their way toward the entrance. Grissom kept his arm around her waist and Sara caressed his back and then his butts, then in the last minute, they pulled apart and only their hands were connected physically.

"Still not too late," he tried once more.

"Yes, it is," and she pointed to the opening door.

Grissom thought he was just dreaming. It could not be true. Like any people in this situation would have reacted, they both stood still. Within nanoseconds, Grissom was figuratively pulled back in his movie seat watching Ice Age I. He could not do anything but watch as an absolutely Sid lookalike threw the entrance door open and practically spread his arms just as wide. There was a scene in that movie when Sid fought off the dodos, and then they fell off a cliff, Grissom bet that Hodges could go for it if ever there was going to be a casting in the future. The sincere joy that Hodges' every gesture displayed was amusing for Sara but was alarming for Gris.

"Boss! Wel…welcome back!"

"David, I'm not your boss, anymore," he corrected Hodges.

"You'll always be my boss."

"Well, that was so touching, and nice to see you too, Hodges," Sara said waving her hand to indicate her presence.

Hodges quickly recovered from his embarrassment and greeted Sara, as well. All of them headed back inside. Gil asked him if he had been on his way home but David reassured him that he had just been about to see if the weather was okay. Sara and Grissom shared a look but both of them thought better than to ask him any further and they dropped the topic. Hodges was beyond happiness. He was the first who met his god. He could make the next year without even food. His pride would feed him for sure.

It was great to be back in the Lab again. But somehow it felt foreign and he found that so many things had changed. He felt like an outsider. And he was only a visitor indeed. Judy seemed as happy to see him as Hodges had been before but she remained behind her counter. In the hallway, Mandy held a tray with many little thingies on it. She was about to take the tray into her lab but she brought the samples with her to acknowledge Gris and Sara. Grissom had liked her from the beginning of their acquaintance. She was hard-worker and somehow she reminded him of an old friend of his. Just as they said their hellos, Wendy appeared behind them and greeted Grissom. She smiled at Sara, and then both Mandy and Wendy left. Mia caught them right before they could step into Cath's office. They were answering each other's questions when Cath walked behind the ex-supervisor. She turned Grissom around and hugged him tight. Grissom expected this display of affection but still, he was not very thrilled about it. Although, he hugged her back, he kept it short. Mia sensed the man's unease so she decided to flee. Cath noticed her runaway. _Why is she running? She feels uncomfortable around me? How come? She didn't even look into my eyes_, Cath speculated. So Mia became her new suspect. But her investigation could wait. Here was this man whom she loved and missed so much. Griss, Sara and Cath entered the office and sat down. Cath was eager to hear the details of the wedding and their lives in Paris. They were talking intensely when Nick and Greg arrived. They shook hands and agreed to go to their favorite diner for having breakfast. Greg insisted to ride with Gris and Sara to the diner; he made sure he could ask questions when Grissom was not able to find a bolt-hole. Sara enjoyed her friend's grilling inquiry, knowing Greg really wanted to know all about French women and cuisine. He just did not know that he chose the wrong person to retrieve information like that. Or he knew but did not care.

They were all sitting in the booth and were eating their breakfast when Cath's cell went off. She sighed but had to answer the phone because it was Brass who called.

"Hi Cath, is Griss there with you?" he asked the woman.

"Yes, we are all here at the diner. Why don't you join us?"

"I wish I could. But I'm afraid you will have to join me here in the Lab. I'm already there waiting for you."

"Why? What's the matter? Missed me already?"

"That's too, but our love birds were in action again."

"Paula and Hugo D-something? Where? When?"

"Two days ago, in Albany, Georgia. There was a certain Hugo D-something on a flight from Paris to New York."

"Check the flight list. In and out of Albany. We will be there as soon as we can."

"We're already monitoring the airports. It seems they are still there. No reservation on any flights out of Albany. Just eat your breakfast, no hurry. Talk to you later."

"Thanks, we will be quick."

All eyes were on Cath. She sighed and shared the information she had just gotten. Grissom went white. _No, it can't be. No way. What are the odds?_ Grissom's thoughts were interrupted by Sara's hand on his. She looked worried.

"Are you okay?" she asked her husband.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry, dear."

He decided to wait until they knew more about the newer incident. He could not recall the guy's name who had sat next to him. He closed his eyes and wished the memories of that flight to come back.

"_It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr.….um…Mr.?"_

"_Grissom, and it was nice to meet you, too. Mr.….?"_

"_**Deveny**__."_


	7. Grissom and the Geyser

Chapter Seven

The team had a good time at the diner. Everybody ordered their favorite meals and Greg pointed out his eternal credo that taught that a good breakfast could feed not only the body but also the soul. And Greg served his soul dutifully. Once or twice, he stole a slice of bacon from Nick or half an egg from Sara's plate. He tried to convince them that those items had just cried for him to take them but after Cath threatened him with cutting his precious fingers off, Greg decided that his plate was sufficiently filled. One occupant was very deep in his thoughts, though. Sara was silently watching Grissom knowing that something was bothering him. She was not sure of what it was. He looked happy and cheerful, so Sara suspected it had something to do with the case Brass had called about a few minutes earlier. She smuggled an extra sugar cube into his coffee to cheer him up. Everybody but Grissom noticed Sara's little action and all of them smiled at it but said nothing. It was an intimate interaction between them that required no comments. Grissom automatically lifted his mug to his mouth and took a gulp of the sweetened but still bitter drink. The trick seemed effective as Grissom tasted the change in the flavor of his coffee and he immediately smiled at Sara and placed his left hand onto her thigh. The rest of their breakfast went great; all of them enjoyed themselves and their food. Cath, Sara, Nick, Greg and Grissom paid for their orders and were about to head back to the Lab when Gil suddenly stopped and looked at Sara thoughtfully.

"You ok?"

"I have to go back home first, I'll meet you at the Lab in a few," Grissom answered her worried question.

"What was in your food that makes you run back to your love-nest already? Next time, I am going to order that one," Greg said to him with a huge grin on his face.

"It must be something special that only affects Gris because you ate almost all of his food and still no effects on you," Sara countered and she pinched him in the side making him yell out in pain.

Greg was still rubbing his injured side while Grissom was still blushing because of the insinuation Greg had just said. They both were incredibly cute. Two boyish adults blushing, however, not for the same reason.

"See? You're still a rookie, buddy. Only one touch of Sara and you're already calling for help," Nick jumped on the possibility to tease his friend.

"Gris, you're a hero. Although, I believe Sara's more gentle to you."

Another pinch greeted Greg's side followed by an earsplitting and very pretended screech from him. While Greg simulated his dying, everybody else was struggling against dying of laughter.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Sara asked Grissom after she had surfaced from her hilarity.

"Yeah."

"Hell, yeah. Of course, you do," Greg told Griss, but the only response was a smack he received across his nape. He looked around to see who had hit him this time. It was almost a caress but again, Greg acted like a warrior who got a fatal shot. "Ouch!"

"What did YOU eat, Greg? By the time we arrive at the Lab, you'll be covered with blue and green spots," Cath teased the youngest CSI.

"Exactly. And it's an abuse in the workplace. Maybe I should call Brass."

"We're in a diner, baby boy," Sara informed him, "it's not considered workplace abuse, smart ass."

"Now, this was a verbal harassment. I'm calling Brass…"

"Do you need protection from girls, Greggo?" Nick provoked him.

"I won't say 'no' to sexual harassment, but physical abuse is rude."

"So, sex isn't a contact interaction in your book, Greg?" Grissom joined the conversation for the first time.

"Well, this is private matter. But I can share my experience on the topic, sometimes. Nick, can I ride with you?"

"Aww, man, you need a girl. So…," Nick mocked an objection.

"Cath looks threatening. And you've got beautiful eyes…" Greg fooled him back.

"Okay, that's it. You have to walk."

"Um…Cath, did you know that you also have terrific eyes and the smile of yours…brilliance of diamonds"

"You can come with us!" Cath assured him.

"But this is my own car, Cathy," Nick faked a complaint.

"And I'm your own boss."

"But I'll drive and Greg has to sit in the back seat," Nick declared.

"Well, until you two decide who wins Greg's heart, we are leaving. And we'll be in the Lab in 30," Grissom said and was already on his way to the car. He took Sara's hand and left the bantering gang behind.

"Yeah, 30 minutes, right."

Those had been the last words from Greg that Grissom and Sara heard as a loud 'ouch' left his mouth right away.

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* * *

After a short drive, Sara and Grissom arrived home and he put the car in park. She was the first who reached the door and she quickly unlocked it. Grissom was right behind her but he suddenly stopped still. He looked around and felt a weird emptiness. Something was missing. Sara sensed his uneasiness and turned around to see why her husband was acting like this. She knew he remembered something, it was clear but she waited until he spoke first.

"It is like a feeling of déjà vu. You know just as last time when I arrived home a few days ago. I was about to call him. I miss him."

"The sitter said Hank was alright. Eats enough, plays more than enough. Don't worry, lover," Sara said, however, she missed Hank just as much.

"I know. But I miss him, he is like my son."

"Well, he is indeed like you. Eats a lot, loves playing…"

"I'm nothing like him. I meant it metaphorically. I never steal your toys nor do I keep them. I'm never happier than usual when someone knocks on the door, I never manipulate you with my puppy eyes, and I never drool and never force you to scratch my belly until your fingernails are scrubbed."

"Really? What happened last time? It all started with you having looked like drooling when I had shown you my new nightie, and then you had looked at me with your adorable puppy eyes and I had scratched all over your yum yum body…that…I had been doing willingly, by the way."

"Actually, I could use some scratching again," he said with huge begging puppy eyes.

"See? You are doing that again. But we have to be in the Lab in half an hour. We have no time."

"Um…in 17 minutes…but I miss you, too."

"Why did you want to go home, by the way?" Sara asked him.

"I don't remember. But your clothes look like toys that I have to possess…"

"Perhaps, Greg was right, and you really ate something…" Sara tried to convey her say but she evidently preferred her husband's kisses more on her neck…on her cheeks …on her chest.

"I'm eating my dessert now."

"Haven't you said you'd never take my toys?"

"At least, I give them back…eventually," Grissom murmured into her ear making Sara shiver.

"Okay, daddy, you have too many clothes on you! Get rid of them!"

"I'm not his daddy," he said feeling a little irritated, "I feel as if I were his father. Big difference."

"Right, no-daddy-of-Hank, just love me!"

And who was Grissom to disobey this beautiful woman? He knew they should be on the road back to the Lab but the case could wait a bit longer for them to crack it. He looked down into Sara's eyes and he saw that she was thinking the same. They both smiled at each other and both knew it would be a quickie. Sara and Grissom were good lovers who felt a heart-to-heart connection and their lovemaking was pure ecstasy, their art of love as they called it. This intimacy came from openness and trust. Grissom believed that like any other art, they needed to practise this branch of art in order to become really good at it. And both Sara and Grissom were known as perfectionists.

An hour later, Sara finished her shower and went to the bedroom to get dressed. Out of habit after showering, she selected a new set of clothes and prepared clean clothing for Grissom, too. They were running towards their car to make up lost ground when Grissom stopped and galloped back into the house. Sara was patiently waiting for him in the car.

"Why did you go back?"

"I almost forgot the thing I'd originally wanted to come home for."

"Which is?"

"Remember the jerk on the Paris-New York flight who kept talking to me all the time?"

"Yes. It's hard to forget…I mean you mentioned him often and…"

"Have you finished?"

"Yes," she said smiling and knowing that he would have not appreciated if she had said the word 'Ramses'.

"So, I didn't want to say anything about my suspicion in front of the guys before I could check my flight's number and compare it to the one that our suspect had been on. You know, just what the odds we flew with the same plane are…"

"We ought to check his name he used that time and the flight number. Hey, if we are lucky, you can describe him and then we'll know who to look for."

"I don't know why, but I hope he isn't the man we are looking for."

"It's not easy to accept or believe that someone you know or met once is capable of committing crimes, I guess. And I wish that the other scary guys were just like him and his wife. Really, is he married at all?"

"Yes," his suspicion was getting more and more convincing. "He himself said that his wife was also younger, just like you in our case."

"Did he say anything about his love for books? He took only books and DVDs."

"He's a scientist, of course, he loves books."

"What kinda scientist?"

"I think he's a biologist or something close to that field."

"We'll have to check the subjects of the stolen books."

"Alright, first of all, we need to wait until we have the information about the suspect's flight number. Let's not jump to conclusions."

"Okay, and before "first of all", we should get to the Lab," she said to him and Grissom started the engine.

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* * *

Nick and Cath had taken Greg back to his car at the Lab. As he had not worked on this particular case, he had been allowed to go home but he had decided to stay. He had said he would not go home and sleep when he could hang with his mentor. After an hour, he had started to rethink his decision because neither Sara nor Grissom had arrived yet. He went to the Break room to inform Cath, Nick and Brass that he had been right all along, and that the 30 minutes, Griss had promised, should purport to be multiple 30 minutes. He was smiling while the others were rolling their eyes when the couple in question entered the room.

"I'm sorry we're late but we got stuck in the…um…the…the roads were all crowded," Grissom started to explain their delay.

"Ah-ha. So had you two been stuck and then the roads were crowded OR were you stuck in the traffic because the roads were crowded?" Brass asked them chewing on the details.

"Do you think it's funny?" Sara asked right back.

"Yes, it's funny," Greg interrupted and asked, "was it that hot in the car that you two had to change clothes?"

If looks could kill, Sara would have been arrested, "We had to change because, just as you foresaw, Gris must have eaten something wrong and he felt sick in the car."

If looks could smack, Grissom would have been arrested, "But I'm perfectly alright now, so move on, and again, sorry for our delay."

"It must have been a geyser, man, if you both needed to change," Greg added but felt alone with his amusement, so he kept quiet.

After Grissom and Sara sat down, Brass started to share what he had understood about the new robbery while the team had been at the diner. He informed them about the town where the latest crime had happened, about the stuff that had gone missing, about the VHS they had left behind them in the middle of a little pond of wine again. And he finally said the temporary name that the suspect had used this time.

"He flew from Paris to New York, and then changed to Albany as Mr. Deveny," and with that Brass finished his monologue.

Grissom needed no more evidence. Although, he was still waiting for the flight number, he knew it was his biologist semi-acquaintance. Their parting words once again came back.

"_It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr.….um…Mr.?"_

"_Grissom, and it was nice to meet you, too. Mr.….?"_

"_**Deveny**__."_

"What's the flight number?" Sara asked Brass when she saw that Grissom was getting agitated.

"Delta Air Lines 8550"

"I know this guy," Grissom pronounced at last. All eyes landed on him. "I came to New York with the same flight and this man sat next to me. We were talking."

"You chummed up with a suspect?" Cath asked amazedly.

"Yes, Catherine, I was particularly looking for a criminal. Before this man sat down, I had asked him if he happened to have a criminal record and when he had said 'yes', I ordered champagne."

"You know I didn't mean it that way."

"No, I'm sorry. It's just weird. He was annoying but seemed decent. But I know it doesn't mean anything."

"Alright, this is a new welcomed twist. So you can describe him. Or you can spot him in one of the pictures that were captured from the airport's surveillance. Good. What do you know about him?" Brass asked his ex-colleague.

"We are pretty much the same age. He is also married. He is a scientist, a biologist but also has a degree in Math…I think it was Math."

"Anything else? Was he nervous, unusual, anything?" Cath asked.

"I found him a little irritating, but it doesn't mean he actually is. He was talking a lot. No, he was constantly talking when I was awake."

This piqued Nick's attention, "About what?"

"About nothing, that's why I found him annoying."

He was not about to share every detail of their conversation. Sara knew exactly why he felt uneasy and found the whole situation amusing in spite of its seriousness. To save her man, Sara suggested to the team that they should summarize what they knew.

"Four crimes with the same MOs, first scene is Iwilei, Hawaii, and then Bicknell, Utah and the next one is Vegas, Nevada and their latest is Albany, Georgia. Only books and DVDs were stolen, three episodes of a series were left in the middle of a puddle of wine. That's all." Nick summarized methodically.

"And what is also sure, their first name, Paula and Hugo. They were Mr. and Mrs. **D**alnoki, **D**esewffy and now **D**eveny," Cath completed Nick's report.

"There has to be a connection between these towns or the names or something about the books and wine, no way these towns are selected randomly," Brass discussed.

"I'm sure there is. And we'll figure it out," Grissom reassured Jim.

"Hodges said that the three samples of wine have the same characteristics but he needs more time to identify its origin," Sara said.

"Archie couldn't find anything new about this soap opera. But he's on it," Nick added.

"The fourth cassette is on its way here, you can analyze it tomorrow," Brass informed the team.

"This isn't about greediness, the stolen items aren't worth the hassle, it's not about random robbery," Grissom explained in his unique voice, "there is a pattern that connects every detail and gives a reason for everything. The only thing we have to do is to find it out."

The members of the team shared a look and knew that they could crack this case sooner with the help of their old supervisor who was known as the king of riddles. It was more an enigma to figure out than a pair of criminals to track down.


	8. Sweet Alabama

Chapter Eight

Jim Brass was uptight when he understood that the cassette, the team had been expecting to arrive today, had been shipped to Reno instead of Vegas. Now they had to wait one more day to start its analysis. Each tape contained only minor information about what would happen next, so it was not that urgent to receive it but Brass hated mistakes and not having that tape in the Lab was a mistake. Also, Henry was eager to help with the research. He had spent hours if not days on the internet to find which channel had aired these episodes or who the actors in the series were. His excitement had sunk hour by hour when he had found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Neither Henry nor Archie could find out the country or any parts of the scenery where the scenes had been filmed. There was nothing on the tapes that would have revealed any information about the production company. No opening or closing credits. The tapes, just as the crimes, were a big mystery. However, the team had to consider these crimes as serious as any other crimes; all of them agreed on that they could live with solving these kinds of cases. No injuries, no real harm, no signs of aggression. If it was a game, it would be even funny. Though, Grissom was not laughing at all.

"I just don't understand. We should figure out their motives that keep them committing these crimes," Grissom was thinking aloud.

"You usually say that the whys aren't important," Nick reacted.

"Yes, I do. But in this case…I don't know I feel that there's a pattern of their thinking that ignites their next step."

"So you're saying that if we contrive their way of thinking, we are able to find out their next move and we can act before the next burglary happens?" Nick asked his ex boss.

"I'm just pondering on the possibilities."

"It reminds me of the "reverse forensics" à la Keppler," Nick said, clearly unhappy with the direction of his thinking.

"No, we won't fake anything. Studying the evidence, theorizing, and then squaring our theories with ascertained facts which would allow us to predict the next crime, if we assume that there will be a next one…it's nothing like deceiving our team or even the criminals. It is how science should work. We have to be smarter than them," Grissom answered Nick's unspoken doubts.

"Yeah, like meteorologists."

"Exactly, listen to the news and you'll know how to dress."

"Don't you think Hugo and Paula also listen to the forecast?" Nick challenged Grissom again.

"Hugo and Paula are the weather elements who follow the laws of nature but we are the weathermen who know those patterns…sooner or later."

"I hope we'll know their next picked state or scene or whatever sooner before Mr. and Mrs. Storm will strike again."

"Hey boss!...Um…ex-boss, I mean Grissom. I've just heard. You know it's hilarious that you actually know this guy," Hodges called from the doorway and then he invited himself into the room.

"I don't know him; I only met him once during a short flight."

"Short flight?" Sara said laughing as she stepped into the room with the three men. "I thought you found him irritating…who made your travel unbearably long."

"Um…yes, he was tiresome but he seemed clever as well."

"Sara," Hodges started his monologue obviously enjoying his own voice, "you can't understand it. It's Grissom's pattern to hide his real feelings-"

"David! Don't you have work to do?" he asked.

"See? It's even clearer. Griss found the bad guy nice but he can't say it out loud because this guy is a criminal. But deep inside, he likes him."

"Great, Mr. Shrink. Would you please cite your source?" Sara asked Hodges smiling.

"Self-experience," David said proudly.

"How come?" Nick joined the unleashing fun.

"People, like us…Griss and me, can't let the world see what we really feel because it would make us vulnerable. Therefore, we act contrary to what we are really feeling."

"And what's about your experience?"

"Nick, it's a shame that you need further explanation. So, Griss actually likes the guy on that plane just as he has always liked me but has acted as if he disliked me, get it?"

"Following your train of thought…my husband dislikes ME, that's why he did marry me?" Sara was clearly enjoying the situation in which Hodges placed himself.

"Or you think that I'm not an honest person," Grissom added to his wife's comment.

"Um…," Hodges started to realize the paradox situation he had created. If he disagreed, then what exactly was he going to agree to?

"Hodges! Is your father a miner?"

"Nope," he looked dumbfounded. "Why? He was a teacher but now he's retired. It was a beautiful profession in the past but now-"

"So, if nobody taught you how to drill a well, then don't dig deeper," Nick suggested.

"Oh, I know what you mean, Nicholas, and I really enjoyed talking to you guys, but I have to check on my tests so I can go home," Hodges turned to flee but as an afterthought he said, "cuz the evidence never lies."

"Neither do we, Hodges!" Grissom added.

"Of course not," and with that the heartbroken David left the room leaving a laughing trio behind.

There were so many truths in Hodges' statements but neither Grissom nor Sara wanted to please Hodges with agreeing with him. Indeed, Grissom had acted in a contradictory way in the past but it did not mean that it was a conscious behavior of him. As Hodges hinted it was a sort of defensive mechanism.

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* * *

Catherine Willows had made her decision. She would look for Mia and would talk to her openly. Cath was about to stop her turmoil. Mia would understand that everything she had heard in the toilet a few days ago had been a silly joke. They would laugh and forget the whole nightmare. Cath was convinced that she was going to do the right thing for both of them. Mia would not have to keep her mouth shut any longer and Cath could sleep soundly from now on. _Yes, this is a favor that I need to do for both of us,_ she thought. With confident steps, Cath approached Mia's lab. The woman in question was working on some samples when Cath entered the laboratory.

"Hey."

"Hi Cath."

"Look Mia, I think we need to talk. It's quite awkward but it's better to get it over with, right?"

"Yes, and I'm so sorry. I should have come to you with this…um…matter but with so many cases piled up, and then Griss came back and-"

"No, it's okay. I just want you to know that I didn't mean what I had said…um, none of it, you know," Cath found it hard to form the words but she felt better knowing that Mia seemed understanding.

"No, it's alright, I understand. I did the same when I first tried to do it but then I got better and better with days of practice, and see, this happened again-" Mia answered but Cath interrupted her.

"You did? Really?"

"Hell, yeah. All women did it once in their lives. I think everybody has done it, guys and women, no matter if they admit it or not, and the reaction you made was absolutely righteous," Mia said reassuringly and added, "I'm sure I'd have gone crazy if I were you."

"To be honest, it has been hell for a few days but now, I'm glad we could talk about it and-" this time Cath was interrupted by her pager. "Okay, I gotta go."

"Sure," Mia mouthed.

"Mia, please, keep it to yourself, okay?"

"Is this a secret?" Mia asked but Cath was already on her way out of the room. Blinking a few times, Mia went back to her job. _Well, it went smoothly_, she thought.

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* * *

The team sorted out the loads of evidence and arranged the tasks they would have to do when their next shift was going to begin. So at 11:40 am, the team decided to call it a day and all of them left the building. Sara and Grissom drove home while Greg went to run some private errands, Nick planned to pick up some food on his way home and Cath walked to her car. She smiled at the sight in front of her. She loved her new car. Strong but still feminine, it was perfect for a serious woman like her. It was a cutie as Cath called it. She caressed its fender and then opened its door. Still smiling, she started the engine and maneuvered the beauty towards her home. Cath was humming the song played on her car's radio and she felt happy. With Grissom at the Lab, it was as if the old good days had returned. Only better. No tension between him and Sara, no depression, no awkwardness between the members of the team. Hodges seemed happier than ever; Grissom seemed less irritated by him than ever. Marriage did him good. They all needed the fresh air in the workplace.

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* * *

"Baby, so as you promised?"

"Yes, my dear."

"You know, actually, I'm loving this," Paula told her husband.

"Excitement produces adrenaline," Hugo uttered.

"Too bad, we have only two more places to visit," the woman replied with sadness in her voice.

"No, it's not bad. It has to be this way. They have to know what it feels like. They only get what they deserve."

"I know, lover."

"Do you think that the police doesn't suspect anything?"

"I'm sure they're on it. But they have nothing to go on, however, they have everything."

"They're too dumb to figure it out, aren't they?"

"And by the time, they might solve the puzzle, they will know that they are too late and they can never touch us," Hugo said proudly.

"You sure?"

"Yes. And honestly, I'm not sure if they deal with these kinda cases at all. These aren't serious enough for them. You know, we haven't hurt anybody. And we won't."

"When will we get there?"

"Two days at this rate. There's no rush. Enjoy the scenery but no more painting break."

Paula was about to complain about the monotonous landscape when a huge plate greeted them saying: 'Welcome to Alabama, the Beautiful'. Both Hugo and Paula shared a look and thought of the same thing. It was an omen. Paula respected laws, just as did Hugo. And at this point, they knew they had to complete their mission. Hugo quoted Alabama's motto:

"'Audemus jura nostra defendere'"

"We Dare Defend Our Rights," Paula nodded.

CSICSICSICSI ------------CSICSICSICSI ------------CSICSICSICSI ------------CSICSICSICSI

* * *

The next shift started like any other. The only difference was that all of them were smiling and feeling happy. None of them seemed tired or bored. Sara went to take the evidences to pieces. Her task was to find a link, any link between the locations. Cath and Grissom went to meet Archie while Nick was committed to pull information out of Hodges about the wine. He was about to play on Hodges' vanity. Some well-chosen words and Hodges opened up as a book. Then the only problem was going to be to close that book after having gotten what he wanted.

"Have you watched the tapes yet?" Cath asked Gil on the way to the A/V lab.

"When would I've done that? I've just arrived."

"You've been here for a while," Cath leaned closer and whispered, "just you were busy with a certain Bella Swan…"

"Huh? Who's that?"

"You should know Mr. Cullen," Cath was enjoying herself knowing that Grissom had not read Twilight. "You know…Edward Cullen."

"Ah, so it's again one of your friends. So tell me why I remind you of one of them."

"Oh, come on! Everybody knows who Edward is without calling him by his full name."

"Really? Okay, let me ask…um…"

"Grissom! It's good to have you back, even for a short visit," Ecklie greeted him with a sincere handshake.

"Thanks, Conrad. Um…look! There is Edward Cullen!" Grissom pointed to nowhere in particular and watched Ecklie's face closely.

"Gil, I see you're really rested and had so much time to read even those kinds of books about vampires…this is new. It's said that marriage rejuvenates men. But this can be considered as a miracle. Those books are for teenagers, Gil."

"No-no, it's just for a research. There're so many similarities between vampires and mosquitoes. Conrad, did you know that mosquitoes' saliva contains proteins-"

**"**Anticoagulants that prevent blood from clotting, yes" Ecklie inserted.

"They suck your blood, just like vampires and both leave unique patterns on your skin. On your neck…mostly, right Gil?" Cath helped the blushing Grissom out. She could hardly contain her laughter when she dared to look at his blank face. Cath could clearly remember Sara's "pattern" on her neck on the day when she had returned from Paris.

"Oh, I see. Okay, I started to wonder why you would choose Meyer over Shakespeare. Anyway, have a nice day, Gil, and thanks again for helping. And keep your mosquitoes in Paris!"

"My pleasure."

"Wow," Cath said when they were out of earshot, "Sara's a magician. You were sweet to Conrad."

"I've never been rude, I have class, Cath. I can let my manner shine."

"Ah-ha, Edward can also glitter…"

"Okay, why am I a vampire? Assuming this Edward guy is a bloodsucker."

"See? You know him."

"Yep, for two minutes. What do you wanna tell me? Has Sara said anything to you?"

"Is there anything she should tell me about?"

"I don't know. You tell me!"

"Okay, if you insist…" Cath was about to tease Grissom further when they passed Mia in the hallway. Mia smiled at both of them but said nothing. Catherine took it as a reminder of her nosiness, so she decided to let Grissom off the hook.

"So?" Grissom asked Cath patiently but he was not sure if he wanted to hear Cath's crazy delusion.

"So…what?" she tried her well-practised way of avoidance.

"Why am I that Cullen? And what does it have to do with Sara?"

"Are you jealous of Edward?"

"Yes, Cath, I'm jealous of a fictional guy I don't even know who the hell he is and of course, I've never read about him, so yes, I'm green with envy because everybody besides me seems to know who he is and oh, don't forget the fact that he's a glittering vampire and I remind you of him. Awesome, wanna see my fangs?"

"You have a pair of fangs?" Cath started but seeing the lines she had just crossed, she patted his arms and added, "I was just joking, okay. You're nothing like Edward. I don't even know where the idea came from."

"Is Bella a vampire, too?"

"Why do you care, Edward?"

"Because only the female mosquitoes bite…so, I'd like to know if I should buy garlic, you know."

"Gil, please, be serious, we're working here, if you're into vampires, rent the DVD and watch it, okay. But now, we have another series to watch. Is it okay?"

"You didn't change."

When they finally arrived at Archie's digital temple, the latest tape from the Hugo & Paula _**D**__-something_ case was on. Archie glanced up for a minute to greet them and silently asked if it was okay that Henry was there to watch the tape. Cath nodded once and took a seat next to Archie's left while Grissom went to sit on Archie's other side. After a few seconds, Grissom's breath stopped and a second later he shouted.

"Oh my God! That guy, even though he's much younger, he is Hugo, he is the guy whom I met on the plane."


	9. You decide: red or blue

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my best friend. You know why **** I love you, Ms. OKSA!!!!**

Chapter Nine

_This is weird. __Why am I feeling this lightheaded? It's as if I was afloat. As if I haven't slept all night. Well, probably because a certain beauty kept me awake all night…and day. I don't want to move from this safe nest of…arms? I know this scent; I know the texture of this soft skin. I know this voice. Yes, it's the unique scent of my wife; it's her skin and yes, it's the distinguished, exquisite throaty voice of my Sara. I know all of them better than I know my own hand. I am feeling good. I love resting and dreaming between her breasts, the best pillow ever. I need to nuzzle closer to them. My lovely twins. My sweet little __pomegranates__. Oh, I know that she doesn't like me calling them twins or melons but I can't help it. When I called them oranges, she complained about me thinking they were too small. When I called them melons, she said she wasn't a milking cow. She was right, she was definitely not a cow. So, what can a man call them if he values his life? Sara doesn't understand why I want to call them fruits in the first place. But, please, just think about it. With time, fruits get more and more riper, thus, sweeter. And Sara's tits certainly taste sweeter every time I'm lucky enough to taste them. Even sweeter than her lips. Or are her lips sweeter? I'm confused. I have to investigate it. I've got to know it for sure. Let's see, try her breast first. Hmmm, yes, they're obviously the shapes of melons, and the taste…it's …of copper? …BLOOD??_

Grissom immediately opened his eyes, and although he was indeed in Sara's arms being held close, he now was sure he tasted blood. He starred at her breasts but they seemed free of blood. Then, he touched them to be sure they were okay, to be certain that Sara was okay. After Grissom made sure his wife was unhurt, he still could feel the disgusting taste of blood in his mouth. _But then where does the blood come from,_ he was wondering.

"Gil!" Sara called his name for – as it seemed - the fifth time. Still getting no reply, Sara became more and more concerned. "Gil, how are you feeling?"

"Melon…tastes…blood," he mumbled still looking at her boobs. "Our…bed…so ha…hard."

"Sss, don't speak, just lie still," Sara told him softly, blushing a little. "Doc said it's nothing serious."

"Sara, honey, what happened? Are you alright?" he asked Sara making eye contact with her for the first time after he had first tasted the mysterious substance in his mouth. Sara's eyes widened, she could not believe that he was worried about her and not about himself after all that had happened. God, she loved him.

"Can you also hear the birds singing lovingly?"

_What the hell? Greg is in our bed? No way. What's going on? Awww, my head!_

"Greg, please!" Nick retorted him. In any other cases, he would have laughed at his banter but not this time. Their friend was lying on the floor injured and they did not know how serious his wounds were.

"Don't move!" Sara kept Grissom in place. She was caressing his unruly hair after she had wiped the blood off of his face.

"My head, my nose…hurt…and…," he started to form the words again but stopped suddenly feeling very dizzy. _And why do we have company in our bedroom? Sara? I can't hear you, where are you, please? Don't leave me!_ And once again, the ferocious darkness and the strident silence enveloped him, making the poor man feel agonized and very much alone.

"Gil!" Sara yelled, "please, don't do this, please, stay awake!"

GSRGSRGSR ------------ GSRGSRGSR ------------ GSRGSRGSR ------------ GSRGSRGSR

**

* * *

-****- Earlier that day --**

When Catherine and Grissom finally arrived at Archie's digital temple after their encounter with Ecklie on their way to the A/V Lab, the latest tape from the Hugo & Paula _**D**__-something_ case was on. Archie glanced up for a minute to greet them and silently asked if it was okay that Henry was there to watch the tape. Catherine nodded once and took a seat next to Archie's left while Grissom went to sit on the other side. After a few seconds, Grissom's breath stopped and a second later he shouted.

"Oh my God! That guy, even though he's much younger, he is Hugo, he is the guy whom I met on the plane."

"What do you mean by it?" Cath asked him.

"Just what I said. The guy whom I met on the plane to NYC, it was the same guy that you can see on the tape right now."

"And you just let him go?"

"Of course not. I invited him to dinner with me. Come on, Catherine," Grissom shared innocently enough to warn the others he had just gotten pissed.

"I don't know why you react this way all the time this guy is mentioned."

"Was he different for some reasons? Ignorant?" Henry asked.

"Ignorant? I wish he were! He was quite the opposite," Grissom answered.

"Oh, I know," Catherine started to laugh. "He irritated you."

"Yes."

"Why? He greeted you when he took his seat?"

"He asked a lot of questions," he said pointedly. Archie and Henry giggled at that.

"And still, you weren't suspicious?"

"Catherine, if all people who annoy me were in jail, believe me, hardly any people would be walking in the streets."

"Oh, that's so sweet of you. I guess I am already in custody then," she smiled at him.

"What makes you think that?" Henry asked Catherine indicating he did not catch the train of Grissom's thoughts.

"What's this noise?" a voice came from outside of the A/V Lab making the two criminalists and the pair of labrats' heads turn in the direction the male voice flew into the room. It was typically an annoying sound that was so low that one could not really hear it but vibrated at a special frequency that made their heads hurt…eventually. If one was in the building long enough, perhaps they could put it down to some tiredness or weather fronts.

"Have you, please, seen Catherine Willows?" the man's voice seeped in again. This piqued Catherine's attention. She turned around more fully and started to step out of the room when she found herself face to face with Ray Langston.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you," he said.

"It's okay. Aren't you supposed to be in Reno?" Catherine wanted to know but added, "not that I'm not happy to see you."

"The rest of the conference was unreasonable so I decided to come back and pick up the pieces of my cases."

"Are you back this night already?"

"No, I'd have some business with personnel but evidently I forgot that they aren't here at this hour and I was about to leave when I saw your car in the lot and noticed that ugly…," he looked for the first time around from the doorway into the room and saw Grissom. "Dr. Grissom! How nice to meet you again."

"Dr. Langston! You too." Grissom walked towards the guy and the two men shook hands.

"What were you saying about my car?" Cath interrupted their greetings with an inpatient glare along with her question.

"Ah, of course, sorry. So as I was saying there is a deep cut or scratch on your car's side. Some one must have bumped into your vehicle."

"Did I hear you correctly? You used 'my car' and an 'ugly, deep cut' in the same sentence?"

Henry and Archie suddenly got extremely zealous to watch and analyze the tape again. This woman looked like a champagne bottle at New Year's Eve. Beautifully shaped, slim and just offered a spectacle that men desire to see what was hidden (or not so hidden) underneath its label. But just as well, ready to explode. And the two technicians preferred drinking the sweet liquid rather than being covered with it. So they decided to stay out of her way.

To both men's surprise, the explosion never came. They knew better to release the breaths they were holding. What could be more dangerous than a raving supervisor? A shaken up champagne trapped in a closed bottle. And this was Catherine right now. God help the future-victim-to-be. They hoped that the one who had "raped" her car was in another state by now. She thanked Ray for telling her that somebody had just signed their gravestone, then turned and left the room.

Langston and Grissom shared a glance, rolled their eyes and headed out of the A/V chamber. Ray invited the ex-supervisor to have a coffee in his sanctuary that Grissom accepted gratefully. He was still on European time and unexpectedly he felt very tired. _Coffee will help_, he thought. But the caffeine did not help matters. He only got hungry. His head started to throb. He considered calling Sara and letting her know that he might go home but then – as always – he decided against it. Ray told Grissom about his first few weeks at the Lab, the long hours practicing dusting after shifts and so on. Grissom tried to concentrate on what he was saying but his headache turned into a full forced migraine. He wanted to be focused but it seemed harder and harder with each minute elapsed. _I'll call Sara and I'll go home, sleep it out, that will help_, he reassured himself. _Dammit, I only arrived to the Lab a few hours ago. I can't leave just yet. And then what? I'm not working here anymore. I'm only here to help them out. God, I can hardly see._

Langston sensed his torment. Grissom looked very much in pain. Langston did not know about his migraines, so he had to ask if he could do anything for him.

"Are you alright? Are you in pain?"

"I have a migraine. I'm going to call Sara. It's just that I can't stand sharp noises and I can hardly see the tiny buttons of my cell phone," he muttered while he was pushing them, every time missing the correct combination.

"Do you have prescriptions for it? Do you have your medicine with you?"

"I haven't had time for unpacking my suitcase," was his only response. _I only unpacked something else_, he added to himself.

"Look, I know it is far from ideal, but I have two kinds of medicines I usually use when I have kicking headaches. They are not for migraines but maybe one of them can help until you get home," Langston offered.

"Two kinds?"

"Yes, umm…wait, I'll tell you their names, I always forget."

"It's funny that we can cite thousands of statistics but we keep forgetting simple things. It's okay, you're a doctor after all," Grissom whispered.

"I only call them the little red and the little blue pill," Langston laughed softly as he popped one pill from each blister pack.

"I'd pass the blue one. It reminds me of a "certain" pill I don't need, thanks God!"

Langston smiled at his try at joking but then he held out both of his arms, each holding a pill, one red and one blue, and then he said, "This is your last chance, after this, there is no turning back," he smiled and added, "You take the blue pill, the story ends and you wake up in your bed and you believe about a "certain" blue pill whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you will stay in wonderland; the pain in your head will go away."

As Grissom slowly, somehow skeptically reached for the red pill, Langston playfully warned him, "Remember, all I'm offering you is some release from the horrible pain, nothing more."

After Grissom swallowed the red pill he still did not know its name, Ray said, "Follow me."

"To where?"

"To find your Sara. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you."

Both Grissom and Langston headed to the Break Room in hopes they could find out where Sara was. On their way to that place, they could see Cath storming down the hall towards only God knew where. The men glanced at each other but kept going. When they reached their destination, they found Greg in there drinking coffee.

"Hey, Ray, I thought you were in Reno," Greg beamed.

"I left earlier."

"And back to work already?"

"Nope, I have the next day off, I've just dropped some paper off at personnel. Greg, could you do us a favor?"

"Sure, trade shift with you and I go home?"

"No, spare me a tour around and try to find Sara. Dr. Grissom doesn't feel good."

"Why didn't you just page her?"

Langston looked at Grissom. There were two brilliant scientists and neither of them thought of paging the woman in question. After Grissom typed the SOS message, Langston wished the man better health and went home. The older man sat next to Greg at the table burying his head into his hands. Greg looked at him closer this time and he knew immediately what was wrong with his former boss. They were sitting there for ten minutes when Greg initiated a conversation.

"Griss, you're an entomologist, maybe you could help me out," Greg told him.

Although, his head still throbbed, the question surprised him, "Shoot."

"Why do you know a bee doesn't wear size 10 1/2 shoes?"

Grissom slowly lifted his head and even more slowly looked at Greg who already regretted his cheap attempt to joke. However, the young CSI's ordeal had just started. He waited and waited for a lash-out that never came. On the contrary, Grissom's shoulders started to shake with laughter.

"So why?" Grissom coughed the words. All of a sudden, his migraine forgotten, his spirit lifted. He felt extremely good.

Greg loved irritating people by telling humorless jokes but now, he did not find it that amusing at all. It was frustrating that Grissom, who only enjoyed his own – albeit - bad jokes, found this awful quip actually funny and worth to laugh.

"Crack the joke, son," Grissom snickered. _Son? Did I say 'son'? And what the hell am I laughing at? Focus!_

The very shocked Greg said, "So as not to trample the flowers to death."

"That's incorrect," he said but chuckled anyway, "bees don't wear shoes, buddy!" _Oh, no. I've got to get out of here asap! I know it was only a joke and one of Greg's worst ones, so why did I even react? Don't laugh, Gilbert, focus!_

As he was about to stand up and flee from this surreal situation, he plumped back down. He could hear Greg's voice, he was aware of the surroundings but it felt as if he witnessed the happenings as a third party. What he thought and what left his mouth were no longer the same. He could not seem to control his tongue. And it scared him beyond measure. What if he shared things he did not want to?

_I have to find Sara before Greg figure__s out what's happening._

"Griss, are you feeling alright?"

"I can't keep my tongue tied, I'm telling things I don't want to." _Shut up! Saraaa!_

"Oh, that's unusual....Really?" And the suddenly smug-looking Greg placed a hand on Grissom's shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"

_No! Don't you dare!_ _And take your hands off of me!_ "Why not?" he giggled comically. _Stop laughing idiot! What's up with me??!!_

"What do you think about Hodges?"

"Annoying butthead but he's good at what he's doing," he said shocked at his own choices of words. _At least it was true. Now, go away!_

"You know, Griss, I really like the new you!" He knew that he was playing with fire but this was fun and there had always been questions he wanted to be answered. Now here was the opportunity. To hell with the consequences!

"Did you enjoy your honeymoon?" he asked. He thought he would start with a safe topic.

"It was all honeyed under the moon," Grissom smiled at Greg sincerely. He meant it even if he did not mean to say it out loud. "Sara is fantastic."

Greg valued his life but he also wanted to know things, so he tried a new approach, "If I had a wife as beautiful as Sara, I would make love to her day and night."

_Ah-ha, I won't go there Greg_. "Believe me, you would be dead by now, little boy!"

Greg was immensely enjoying his new favorite game but he got concerned just as well. Even though, retrieving juicy information out of Grissom was amusing, it was definitely unusual of him. Something must have happened to him. He acted like someone who was drugged. He decided to grill him a little further before he would page Sara again. He loved naughty details. And Grissom was not shy to share them. Greg felt uneasy after a while.

And at that precise moment, Sara entered the room. Grissom giggled uncontrollably. And by then, Greg looked a little miserable and hoped Grissom would not remember their little chat.

"Griss, do you have a migraine again?" Sara asked kneeling in front of him, both of her hands on his knees.

After he did not reply, Greg offered an answer, "I think he used to have but then, he started to laugh, even at my joke and now, he…he looks disoriented."

"Griss, can you hear me?" Sara touched his face with her hand making him look at her. "You ok?"

"Did you love our honeymoon? It was fun making love at the bank of the river, remember when…" _Oh, my God, please tell me I'm only dreaming and it's not really happening. Greg, get out!_

"What?" Sara interrupted him blushing at his words, "Greg, could you give us a minute?"

_That's it Sara! I can kill him later__,_ he thought. _Son?! Yeah, son-of-a-bitch!_

"Should I call Doc?"

"Yes, please."

Within five minutes, Doc Robbins had examined his pupils that were dilated. Doc made him stand up but Grissom was unstable on his feet. And he kept beaming. The diagnosis was simple. He was drugged. When he shared his findings, Sara shook her head negatively. "No way," she said. "He would never take anything he doesn't know or take something on purpose."

"Gil, what did you take for your migraine?" Robbins asked his friend.

"He has his medicine for migraine at home. It must be something else," Sara stated. She starred at her husband. She had never seen him like this. It was terrifying.

Sara tried again, "Gil, do you remember…um…what you took for your headache? And who gave it to you?"

"I rejected the blue pill," he smirked.

"Blue pill? You need the magic blue pill?" Greg mocked him.

"I don't need any, you know." _Jesus, I will so kill this guy_. _One more word and…_

"Oh, I know now, according to your description of the canoe trip. I've just learned a new meaning for canoe."

"Shut up, Greg!" Sara retorted sharply. _Take this stupid guy_, Grissom thought.

"What pill?" Robbins asked again ignoring Greg.

"No blue one, I won't ever, I chose the red one," he started to laugh again but this time, he looked at Sara knowingly. "Sara, take me home, please. I think I'll be sick."

"Who gave you the red pill?" The fear of a possible poison seeped into Sara's mind. "Who?"

"Oh, yes, it's clear now, red and blue pills –ding-ding, it must have been Morpheus!" Greg openly laughed at the thought.

"No, it was Dr. Langston," Grissom recalled not remembering any Morpheus working for the Lab.

"Ray?" Robbins said with his dropped jaws, "isn't he in Reno?"

"He got back earlier and he was with him before Griss started to act funnily," Greg answered him.

Sara was already on the phone with Langston. She was visibly upset and sounded worried as well. She did not know how to process this new information. Why would Langston try to hurt her husband?

They talked for a few minutes and Sara was relieved that Langston only wanted to help him and not to abuse the man. He gave the name of the pills. The blue one that Grissom dismissed was Oxycodone and the red one was Algoflex Forte. Both drugs were painkillers, nothing special. Sara shared this information with the coroner who could not explain the symptoms Grissom was clearly showing. He asked Sara if the poor man was on other drugs. She told him that Grissom had to take regular medicine for his hypothyroidism. At that point, Robbins' face lightened up. He smiled and ensured Sara that maybe the two drugs did not agree with each other and caused the problem. But he wanted to be sure and immediately went to a computer to check the components of the medicines. It confirmed his suspicion.

"Sara, you don't have to worry. Nothing will happen. It only causes, as Greg said, funny things. He's saying meaningless things, don't worry. He wouldn't remember a thing after the medicine will be cleared from his system."

"And until then, what?"

"Take him home, let him sleep this out."

By the time Sara and Robbins decided what to do, Grissom had fallen asleep curled up next to Greg who had been ordered to watch him.

"What a picture! Can I take a photo? You two look great together," Robbins joked.

"Hey, I'm not into "sausage fight"!" Greg was right on the defensive and nudged Grissom softly.

"Let me go, Greg! What do you think you are doing?" he asked the wide eyed young CSI. He stood up right away and was about to go as far from Greg as he could. But he was still very dizzy and missed the door. A huge bang alarmed Sara who was running to him.

"Gil! Watch out!" she yelled but she was too late.

**

* * *

-- Back to the present –**

Greg felt guilty. Robbins felt worried. Sara felt panicky. Grissom felt nothing. He was lying on the floor unconscious. Blood was running from his nose. Sara sat close to him on the cold tiles and cradled him into her arms. She wiped the blood under his nose and asked Greg to call the ambulance and call Nick to help them. Robbins examined Grissom once more and told her again not to worry but also said that an X-ray probably would not hurt.

Sara kept calling him by his name but he did not react. She was about to start crying, simply out of panic and desperation. Damn case! It was not important enough to bring him here and now, just because she wanted him to be here, close to her, now, he laid here with his sweet face bloodstained and his gorgeous body unconscious. And this was when she first felt it. She knew well the feeling of this special human bra. She loved the texture of this soft skin. She knew this voice of pleasure. Yes, it was the unique voice of her husband; it was his tongue on her breasts and yes, it was the distinguished throaty voice of her Grissom. She knew all of them better than she knew her own hand.

After a short conscious and confused trial at communication, Sara was yelling his name again. And then, she was yelling for the ambulance.

"Where is that damn ambulance?"

"Right here, ma'am. Please, give us room to help him," an unfamiliar voice behind her uttered.


	10. Greg's sin

**Again, a HUGE BEARY HUG goes to my best friend!!!!! I love you!!!**

Chapter Ten

Although Sara was grateful for the help that had just arrived, she was not ready to let Grissom's hand go. Regardless of the fact that Grissom was not seriously injured, it was quite scary that he had lost consciousness twice in a short period of time. They knew what had caused the first blackout. It was a miracle that he had not gone through the glass wall, especially with the speed he had intended to leave Greg's side. But what they did not know was why he had fainted for the second time. Sara kneeled down never leaving his side or letting go of the man's hand.

The EMTs laid him fully on his back, and then they checked his blood-pressure, felt his pulse and examined his pupils. Everything seemed fine except the fact that he was still unconscious. With the help of the eager Sara who kept her husband's head higher than his heart was, one of the technicians applied a little pressure with a swab to just bellow the bridge of Grissom's nose to stop the bleeding completely. After about 5 minutes, the blood stopped oozing and he was ready to be taken to the hospital for taking an X-ray.

Greg was shifting from one foot to the other. He kept quiet the whole time but Nick noticed how nervous the young man was. He did not exactly know what had happened before Grissom's attempt at playing Superman.

"So, what have you done, dude, that sent Griss right into the wall?" Nick asked Greg.

"I did nothing!" He whispered through clenched teeth. "I was watching him while Sara and Doc were discussing his condition."

"His condition?"

"Yeah, Ray gave him some pill and Griss went gaga," he explained the situation to his colleague.

"Excuse me Sir, leave the hallway free," the senior EMT directed.

Greg and Nick stepped aside and let the paramedics take Grissom to the ambulance. Sara was right behind the men. Nick offered Sara to go with her but she refused knowing that their shifts would not be over for more than three hours. She promised the guys that she would call them. Robbins patted her shoulder and ensured her that Grissom's condition was perfectly normal considering the events he had gone through. Greg insisted to walk with them to the door, the paramedics and Sara were about to leave the building when Greg called after her.

"Um..you might want someone else to go with him," he suggested tentatively trying not to stare at her breasts but failing miserably.

Following his gaze, Sara grunted, "Oh, no! I can't leave like this!"

"Miss, do you want your colleague to go with us? Or you can follow us after you've changed. We're taking the patient to Desert Palm."

"I want to go myself, Greg is not his wife. He will want me to be there," Sara insisted.

"Wife?" Obviously disappointed the man added, "Oh, I see. Still, his condition isn't as serious that you should come with us in these clothes but serious enough not to wait for you, so if you'd excuse us…"

"Okay, Greg you go and I'll be there as soon as I've changed."

"But…" After what he had squeezed out of Grissom, he was not sure he wanted to be the first person his former mentor would like to see in hospital.

"Please, he needs one of us to be with him when he surfaces and hopefully, I'll be there by then," Sara urged the wide eyed and very guilty looking Greg.

"Oookay," he agreed.

And with that, they were out of the building. Sara stood there for a minute watching the suddenly deserted exit. It was a harsh exclamation that jerked her back to reality.

"Sara! Can you believe this? Guess who nicked my beautiful car. It was Mia. And the last time we talked, she said she had been sorry about it but I thought she had been talking about…," she suddenly stopped. Now, her story in the goddamn toilet was what Catherine did not want to share with any living soul. Her brain worked hard on how to escape when Sara turned and the sight of her made Catherine forget all about her car or the desperate mission of finding the mysterious woman who stole and still possessed her secret.

"God in heaven! What happened to you? Are you hurt?"

"No, it's not my blood," she said pointing to her breasts that were presenting perfect prints of a nose, lips and a palm. It looked like some arts from hell. Hieronymus Bosch would have been proud of this bizarre painting.

"Then whose blood is that?"

"It's Gil's."

"Whoa, wait! Is Gil hurt? How? Who did it? Where's he?"

"Cath, sorry, I'll call you and explain everything but now, I've got to run, okay, we called for paramedics who have already taken him to Desert Palm. Nothing serious, just he hit his head and blacked out after he got drugged."

"Oh, just this?" Cath ran after Sara to the Locker Room. "Yeah, happens to everybody! Come on!!"

"Dammit! I have only overalls. Nothing to change into," she pouted.

"Here, use my top," Catherine handed the younger woman one of her tops.

"Thanks."

Sara did not care about her appearance at the moment but the sight of her in the mirror made her flinch. Being taller than her colleague, the garment did not fit at all. If she had pulled it down enough to hide her stomach, her boobs would have greeted everybody. If she had let it show her belly and cover her tits, then she would have looked like a fitness queen dressed for the next workout. Sara tried to drag the tiny article down but it appeared to Cath as if she was literally over-stretching her delicate top. She looked at Catherine in despair…and Cath looked darkly at Sara.

"What's the matter?" the older woman questioned Sara.

"What's the matter??!! It's…um…I look like a…um…teenager in it," she complained. She decided not to use the phrase _sexually promiscuous woman_.

"That's the point," she beamed.

"Ah-ha. Still, I'm not leaving in this one. Do you have anything else for me to wear? Something that is large enough for me, too?"

Catherine was diving into her locker when Mandy crossed the threshold. Sara knew immediately that she would be her rescuer. Mandy was not as tall as Sara but she preferred wearing shirts long enough to hide her tummy. Mandy went right to Sara asking if she could help. By now, the entire Lab knew about the accident and she hoped that she could hear any news on her ex-boss. And what was a better place to get information than the toilet? But she had found that place empty. The next source of news was the Locker Room. Mandy did not expect Sara in there.

"Sara, how is Grissom?" she asked with sincere worry.

"Greg is with him right now because I need a shirt to change into. Could you help me out? Cath is too slim," Sara said diplomatically.

"Sure, let's see," and she opened her locker and fished out a shirt. "Here you are."

"You saved my life, I owe you."

"No problem, I'm glad I could help."

"Guys, I'm sorry but I don't want Greg to entertain Gil longer than necessary, I want him out of the ER and not to be admitted by a neurologist," she smiled but was already on her way out of the room.

* * *

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In the meantime, Grissom stirred a little in the ambulance. It was a good sign as the EMT said to Greg. Yes, it was a good sign for Grissom but a very bad sign for Greg. He was mentally running through possible death scenarios he would surely have to endure. And probably repeatedly. There was no doubt about it. _But I know things about you big guy_, he thought. _And knowledge is power, my friend_…was his last thought when Grissom stirred again. He was on the edge of consciousness while Greg was on the edge of fear.

"Almost there, Sir," a voice said from the front. "Try to soothe him, Sir."

"Soothe him? How?" Greg asked horror-smitten.

"You know the patient, do what calms him down. Only a few minutes and we are there."

He remembered Sara and Grissom's secret glances. Well, that would not help now. He remembered Grissom's smile when Sara had kissed him. He would definitely not do that either. Finally a picture of them on the floor a few minutes ago popped into his head. Greg hesitated, big time. Then Grissom stirred once more and Greg reached for his hand and pulled closer to him. Grissom instinctively tightened his hold on Greg's hand. The young CSI started to sweat.

_What if he wakes and __finds me holding his hand and cuddling his head…again? Last time he darted on the wall. What is he going to do now? Jump out of the vehicle? Then I better jump after him. Only one person is worse than an executioner and that is Sara…a widowed Sara. Drive faster, cretin!!!_

* * *

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"When will we get there?"

"Soon," the driver said to her.

"Could you drive faster, please?"

"I'm not allowed and I don't want to get in trouble just because you're impatient."

"I'm not impatient, I just want to be there already and see with my own eyes that everything is okay," she muttered under her nose.

"I think you're the one who changed clothes for God knows how many times."

"Hugo, the first one I tried was too short. You said we should be inconspicuous," Paula explained her fashion parade.

"Remember, this is a small town. They would pick us if you were dressed like you had been in Vegas."

"What's this name? Some chick field," she laughed. "I can't seem to keep its name in mind."

"Saraland," Hugo answered. "It's in Mobile County."

"And their slogan is 'Keep moving', huh?"

Paula looked through the window of the car, and her eyes went wide. On the right, she could see the almost black clouds that promised a bad storm. She knew what a storm was capable of doing to her husband. Probably that was why he snapped at her so easily today. He had to have a horrible headache. Hugo always refused to admit that it might be a migraine. Paula did not understand why. She knew the symptoms and saw them clearly now. She blindly put her hand into her purse and palpated the medicine and offered one to Hugo. The man was grateful, his wife was so observant. He reached for the pill when he noticed that it was a tiny red one.

"Honey, why don't you throw this medicine away? You know this kind of drug is bullshit. They should name it AlgoSux and not Algoflex. Just throw them away."

"Ah, sorry, I thought I already did that. I don't even want to think about what would have happened to you again if you had taken it. I'm sorry, love," the woman apologized.

"I don't even know if there are any fools who take this persona-killer. Probably only morons."

"I guess everybody has to experience it at first hand," Paula pointed out the obvious to Hugo who tried very hard not to react. "So when will we get there?"

* * *

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"What a picture! Can I take a photo? You two look great together," the on call physician joked when he opened the ambulance door and revealed the still unconscious man being hugged by a much younger and alert Greg.

Greg mentally opened his thesaurus dictionary and turned the pages to the word 'fuck off' but not finding any classy synonyms for it, he just said, "Sir, would you take care of him? His WIFE is on her way."

"Of course. Sir, would you let him go? Why are you cuddling him anyway?" the doctor asked Greg.

"Your colleagues said that I should soothe him when he was about to come to life ag…" he stopped and looked back at the very smug-looking EMTs. Greg let Grissom go immediately and he fell back to the gurney with a thud making the poor man open his eyes.

He was confused about his whereabouts, so he blinked a few times to focus better on the figure close to him, "Greg?"

_Does he look angry? Nope. I__'ve certainly just construed ire into his voice. He couldn't remember, could he? Doc said he wouldn't. Maybe he thought it was Sara holding him in the ambulance, not me. He's still in a dizzy condition. Keep him calm, Greg. Where are you, Sara????_

"Sara will be here in no time, close your eyes," Greg tried to lull him. The paramedics were chuckling while they were rolling the man into the building. Greg was known as a gentleman, so he did not say anything. He only gave the men the finger and silently followed them.

Greg paced the hall in the ER, he simply did not want to be there when Grissom was taken out or worse, he walked out of the room on his own feet. He wanted Grissom to get better and soon, but he also wanted himself to be alive. So he wished Sara were there to take him home, let him sleep out the trauma and let him forget everything that had happened. Forget the damn red pill, the hit and most of all, the interrogation he had performed on him. Hell, it had been fun at that time. If he had to die by the hands of the great Gilbert Grissom, then at least he finally had priceless tidbits about Sara's fieriness. Okay, he could have lived without the knowledge of how Grissom was making love to his wife but the two actions were actually inseparable. He could imagine scenarios how Grissom would torture him, knowing now how creative the old buddy could be. To strangle him with an incandescent metal rope would be way too simple. Forcing him to eat the bugs that had walked through Hodges' pants would not be cruel enough…for Grissom at least. Before Greg could sink any deeper into his self-pity, Sara's deep voice caught his attention. She asked Greg how her husband was and where he was. He offered the information and suddenly, he felt the invincible need to go back to the Lab. Sara would have loved to be close to Grissom but as she arrived late, she was not allowed to go into the examination room anymore. She did not want to wait alone either. Greg knew she wanted him there but she could not know what he had done, so he needed to flee.

Fortunately for Sara, she did not have to wait long as the door to the X-ray opened and revealed a physician and a smiling Grissom. Unfortunately for Greg, he glanced directly into his eyes but then Grissom's eyes found Sara and he walked to her. Sara was a bit surprised seeing that the man was so well. Not that it would bother her. She just expected him to be much weaker after his ordeals. She grabbed his hands, and then his face and checked him out thoroughly. He seemed to be perfectly well. But Sara needed to talk with his physician about the regulations. With Greg sweating next to her, the MD explained Grissom's condition. He said that her husband suffered nothing permanent, the multiple loss of consciousness could be owed to the exhaustion and the obvious hit to the head but they should not be worried, once he had slept it out, he would be as good as new. He said that Grissom fell into a very deep sleep in the ambulance. It had not really been a blackout. The white coated man made Grissom promise that he would go to bed immediately after his wife had driven him home. The man also told the wide eyed threesome that Grissom probably would not remember what had happened; at least that was the usual observation with these injuries. That last comment made Greg very happy and relieved. Finally, the professor highlighted the fact that Grissom should never take the AlgoFlex again. After a nurse arrived with a wheel-chair, Grissom was ready to be released.

"I guess everybody has to experience it at first hand," were the departing words of the doctor.

* * *

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It was the insisting ringing of the phone that woke the couple hours after they had arrived home from the hospital. Sara fetched the buzzing gadget from the night stand and looked at the ID. She did not mean to fall asleep with the man next to her but his caresses had lulled her into slumber, just as hers him into a deep sleep.

She sighed and snapped the cell open to answer it, "Hey Cath!"

"Hi, I'm calling to ask if you two are up to for a late breakfast and a movie."

"Um…shouldn't we be back to the Lab instead?"

"Nothing happened in the Lab, we have a free afternoon. I told the guys to have a nice shower and a well-deserved sleep, and then a reunion at Frank's."

"Oh. Cath?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"I don't know if Griss is strong enough to leave the house just yet. What if you come over and have that "breakfast" here and one of the guys could bring some films?"

Until now, Grissom had kept quiet but Sara's invitation messed up his plans for the rest of the day, so he let out a loud growl.

"What was that noise?" Catherine asked.

"Just Hank," Sara replied without thinking.

"Oh, the one who is still in Paris?"

"Oops, nope, it was his daddy," this earned one more and even louder grumble from Grissom and a chuckle from Catherine.

"Sure. So, what time are we supposed to be over there?"

"Moment, I'll ask Gil," she leaned closer to his ear but he already moaned a 'Yesterday'. Giggling, Sara added, "He said you can come anytime after 3 pm."

"Okay, then 3 it is," and with that she hung up.

Before Grissom could start his tantrum, Sara turned his face towards the clock to show him that they still had a few hours until their little party. A slow smile appeared on Grissom's face, he knew what the near future might hold for them.

"How is the head," Sara asked grinning eagerly.

"Which one?"

Sara straddled him and raised her eyebrows, "Ah, you meant the one I hit today?"

"Uh-hum."

"No pain."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely." And with this statement, he pulled Sara's top over her head.

Being half naked, Sara kept questioning him, "Nausea? Dizziness?"

"No nausea, but definitely light-headed…the sight of you…naked…on me…makes me wobbly."

"Maybe we shouldn't do this…" she told him apprehensively.

"The doctor at the hospital said I am okay, I just have to stay in bed, right where I am," he smiled up to her worried eyes.

"But he recommended sleep."

"And we've done just that till now," he inched up with his caresses on her arms, "probably I have some broken bones that those doctors didn't notice, you should check me out."

"Okay, stay put. I need my equipments for that examination," and she reached for his glasses and got out a magnifying glass from the drawer. Grissom tried to keep a straight face. It was appealing how easily she could invest herself in a character. "I don't wanna miss a thing."

"You should start…," he did not have time to finish the sentence.

"I'm the specialist, you shut up, Sir!" She started to undo his shirt, and then took it off of him. His pants followed the previously discarded article. "Alright, let's see. Tell me if anything hurts, okay?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Mrs! I'm married. And you just have to behave, my husband can be very animalistic, you know. I don't want you to be hurt any further."

She started her thorough examination at his head. She was worried about that part of his body. She wore his glasses but let them sit on the lower part of her nose and held the magnifying glass in one of her hands. She leaned closer to his forehead, it looked unhurt. Sara placed a kiss onto it and went to his left ear.

"I love alternative therapy."

"I said no talking, you disturb my exploration."

She then looked at his ear very closely. She could not identify any illness, so she kissed it and went on. When she arrived at his lips, she smiled.

"No bones in them, so I can skip studying those."

"You can never know," he added quickly. "Touching is the best method for you to be sure." And he earned a quick kiss; she did not want to be distracted. She had a job to do. She earned a pout.

After Sara went on with her investigation, she did not find any broken bones. She double checked both of his legs, his feet, nothing. When she kissed her way back to his abdomen, she suddenly threw the magnifying glass onto the bed with a scream. Grissom raised his head to see what had caused Sara's squealing. "Python!!!!" Without the glass, it looked friendlier but still.

"This," she pointed to the special body part under his belly, "this hasn't been here the last time I looked at this direction." She looked pretty flustered by the missed boner.

He started to laugh, "I hope it's not broken."

"Let me check," and she took him in her hands and studied it for a few seconds, just to be sure. "Something's wrong with it, it's getting bigger!"

"And is it a problem?"

"It is said that if some bones are broken, they start to swell. Maybe I shouldn't touch it."

"Perhaps, a kiss of yours can help."

She was about to perform her unique treatment when her cell went off. She cursed but answered it anyway. It was her job and sometimes she wished…no, she did not.

"Yes, Greg?"

"Oh, did I interrupt anything? Anyway, I just wanna know what kinda film you want to watch?"

"It's completely up to you!"

"Any preference?"

"Surprise us, okay, I gotta go." And she hung up then turned off the cell without a thought. She looked apologetically at her man. "Oh, look," she pouted, "perhaps, it isn't broken after all."

"It can be any minute," he said then sat up, and demanded her lips for his kisses. She smiled under his lips when she felt that her private python once again was turning into a stony beast. This time, their lovemaking was not interrupted.

* * *

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It was 2:58 when the first guest arrived. First guest meant Catherine, Nick, Brass, Robbins and Greg. Catherine brought the dishes; Brass was responsible for sodas while Nick provided two cases of beer. Greg held a plastic bag under his arm. He selected about ten DVDs. The entertainment was ensured. The youngest CSI was still worried about Grissom's memory but his ex-boss looked peaceful and friendly.

The eating went by uneventfully. Everybody had a great time. They discussed the absurdity of what had happened to Grissom. Greg found him staring at him many times but then, he looked away as if nothing had happened. He even thanked Greg for his support. He smiled widely and mentally thanked whoever was in heaven for saving his life. He started to lighten up and even cracked a joke or two making his friends laugh.

After everybody got stuffed, they went into the living room and asked Greg what movies he had rented for them.

"As I was given the green light, I took the liberty to choose some romantic and some…um…scientific."

"Well, so far, we have sappy and sci-fi?" Catherine asked him.

"Hey, I called Sara but she was on a canoe trip again…" he immediately regretted telling this.

"Huh?" Brass jumped into one of their armchairs.

"Greg meant that he had called Sara when we had been watching the video of our honeymoon," Grissom saved Greg.

_Wow, this man is really nice. He really doesn't remember a thing. He's a good friend. I don't even understand why I feared him. See__? He likes me._

"So what are we going to watch?" Nick nagged Greg who was still smiling at Grissom.

"We have 'Pride & Prejudice from Jane Austen'. Just to make the ladies happy."

"In which that Darcy couldn't decide what to do about his love for Lizzie? That guy's indecisive attitude drives me crazy," said Grissom. "Something else?"

"Alien I-IV."

"No," was the immediate reaction from all of them.

"But there are bug-like creatures in them," he explained. "Okay, okay, what about Resident Evil I-III?"

"Greg, you spent just how much time in the shop until you got these?"

"No, no. Resident Evil is good," Grissom beamed and surprised everybody.

"See? Someone appreciates my effort. Thanks! RE I or II, maybe III?"

"Everybody has watched the first one, let's see the second part," Robbins said knowing that there would be more dead bodies in that one. But '_dead'_ was not the correct term to describe zombies.

Watching a science fiction with real scientists was everything but a piece of cake. They kept commenting every tiny slip. However, they seemingly loved watching movies this way. Perhaps, it was only Brass who got annoyed by them. Greg was happy that he could find a DVD that all of them enjoyed. He looked at Grissom who was watching him. Now, that was bizarre. He could look at people in a pretty threatening way. But Greg shrugged it off. He was friendly with him all afternoon. No need to worry.

"I'll make coffee, who is in?" and with that Grissom went to the kitchen.

He came back with cups of coffee sitting on a tray. After the cups were given out, Grissom handed the last one to Greg. Eagerly, the young man took a sip of the liquid and almost dropped dead. It was horribly hot and contained tons of sugar with some other unknown but very distasteful substance. And then he knew it. He tried to keep calm. He looked at Grissom who was now openly glaring at him.

The movie approached its end. Everybody was glued to the flat screen watching as Alice, the heroine was once again reborn. Nick literally longed to touch the TV when Milla Jovovich sat up naked. But Greg could only vaguely hear the last lines of the movie. He could hear what Dr. Isaacs said to Alice but Greg could not break eye contact with his ex-boss.

'_Alice, wake up. Can you hear me? Do you understand what I'm saying? Good. Where are you? You're safe. Come on. That's it. There we are. Do you know what that is? Look at me.'_

Grissom just starred at him. Greg swallowed with some difficulty.

'_Can you remember anything? You remember your name?'_

'_My name?'_

Greg could have not cared less if Alice remembered her name or not. He could not take a breath now. He continued looking at Grissom who for the first time went close to him and whispered into his ear:

"My name...is **_Grissom_**. And **_I_** remember everything."


	11. Saraland and Sara lands

**To my Sweet, Amazing, **_**Saxay**_**, Kindest, Intense and oh, so Adorable friend!**

Chapter Eleven

Silence found the couple as they stepped into the half darkness. Two pairs of tired eyes were scanning the previously spotless room. Dirty plates and cups were all over the place. Some DVD cases were lying on the coffee table while some disks were left under the table. Absolute chaos. The key to successfully entertain friends was offering plenty of distractions so they would not get bored. Also, had plenty of snacks ready to keep the party fueled. The crumbly leftovers were now evidence of a hot gathering. Although, having friends over was great but cleaning after them was certainly not.

"I won't touch anything!"

"So, are you saying that there were enough touches earlier?"

After a soft kiss landed on the slim neck of hers, she murmured, "How is the headache?"

"Come and gone."

"Like you?"

"No, not like me. I came, yes, but I'm still here and ready for a quickie…"

"But we don't have time…you said a quickie?"

Grinning, he led his wife to the couch, "A quick quickie."

Kissing him intensely, long arms sneaked out of the tiny blouse and clasped him, unconcerned about getting him naked too in the middle of the mess. He slid his left arm around her and pulled her against his chest while he applied the right pressure with his right hand that had been slipping deeper inside her pants, soon finding its destination. She broke off the kiss, panting with arousal as she sank deeper and mercilessly into blissfulness, getting closer and closer to the end of their making-out. He transferred his mouth to her sweat covered neck, decorating it with art-like patterns by his teeth, nipping gently then soothing the marks with his tongue. The brunette's hips jerked in rhythm with the strumming of his fingers and her thighs tightened their grip on his hand. Both were close to their climaxes and she wanted to please him as well, so she suddenly hooked her leg around him gaining advantage in her attack and turned him over. She thought of some more gyrating moves before the actual intimacy but all of a sudden some fluid covered their groins.

He looked up surprised but very much satisfied by her abrupt orgasm, "You've just defined 'quickie'."

"It wasn't me and it's cold," she said in astonishment.

"Me neither," this discovery sobered them both. "And this cup definitely doesn't belong to me either."

"Where did that damn mug come from? And what's this liquid? Beer?"

"Probably from the back-rest but who the hell cares! We have stuff to complete, so hurry!"

"Okay, hand me the tape, you place the wine."

Paula and Hugo practically ran out of the house then slowed down. If they had continued running, they would have attracted attention. So they just walked away. They drove several miles out of Saraland when Hugo glanced towards his wife. He scanned her body and smiled when he realized that he could see the silhouettes of her breasts.

"What?" she asked then followed his eyes. "Crap! Shit! Fuck!"

"What a vocabulary, honey!"

"We have to go back. I left my bra there."

"Crap! Shit! Fuck!"

* * *

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Nick and Greg were chatting in the Break Room when Catherine breezed into the room holding assignments in her hand. All of them seemed pretty worn out after the visit at the Grissoms'. The team had stayed longer than planned and none of them managed to return to their own places for a shower before shift. Greg insisted on showering at the Lab saying he was a neat guy who preferred emitting a fresh male scent rather than smelling of pizza and beer. He looked pointedly at Nick who wore the same clothes that he had at Grissom's place. Nick emphasized that he had showered before the party so Greg had nothing to worry about his smell. Greg skillfully skipped the fact that he also had had a shower before the gathering but a certain gray haired Santa had insinuated exquisite suffering making him sweat. He had silently pleaded for mercy but when he had been given none judging by the cold stares, he had inched to Sara hoping he would be safe for a while. Now, the young discoverer was sitting there safe and sound looking at the woman in front of them.

"Hey guys!" she greeted the two men.

"Hi Cath, I hope you have easy cases for us," Greg prompted.

"Dream on Greggo," Nick teased him.

"Well, actually, only one abandoned car with blood on the back seat for you, Greg, and one burglary for you, Nicky."

"Will Grissom come in?" the youngest CSI asked.

"I don't think so."

"Good, he needs the rest," he fidgeted in his seat. "Where is Sara?" he continued asking Catherine.

"I called her earlier; she is waiting for you at the scene," the woman offered as an answer.

_Finally, it was quiet in the Grissoms' residence. __The silence was nice to their ears but the sight of the empty cups and dirty plates lying all over the place was quite disturbing for Sara. The DVD cases of the Resident Evil series were placed on the coffee table while the Alien sequels were left under the table. Utter chaos. The key to successfully entertain friends was offering plenty of distractions so they would not get bored - well, they definitely had had fun. Also, had plenty of snacks to keep the guests energized. - again, looking at the carpet in the room proved that they had their stomachs stuffed and some of the food had missed its intended goals. All of these were now only evidence of a cheery gathering. And having friends over was great but cleaning after them was not._

"_I won't touch a thing now!" Sara stated._

"_You don't have to, I'll do it. Go, lie down for a bit."_

"_You can't start cleaning. You have to be in bed."_

"_But you said you__ wouldn't touch a thing, so…"_

"_You need to rest and you__'ve moved more today than…usual," she said smirking._

"_So I have to be drugged and have my nose broken to have my wife love me?" he asked with pretended pain in his voice._

"_Poor baby, you are so__ so abandoned," she laughed. "Now, go ahead, sleep!"_

"_I do NOT want to sleep, I don't want to SLEEP!"_

"_Oh, look I found some peanuts, want some?" she showed him a handful of peanuts._

"_No, I have a pair right here," he pointed downward. "It's pretty bulky, but I consider it a carry-on."_

_With wide eyes and open mouth, she muttered the words, __"You really hit your head, didn't you?"_

"_Awww," he suddenly doubled over holding his head in his hands. "What the hell?__ It hurts so much."_

"_Gil? What is it? What's wrong?" she rushed over there and helped him back to their bedroom.__ "Cramps?"_

_She looked at his shoulders shaking and just the__n, she realized he was giggling, "You old son-of-a-bitch!"_

"_I'll show you how young I am."_

"_You scared me, you bastard!"_

"_Then I have to make it up to you," and he started kissing her but she immediately went limp._

_He lifted his head from her neck and growled, "No, not the ragdoll again!!!"_

_He lifted one of her arms and then let it go. Sara did not __react; her arm fell back lifelessly onto the mattress. He tried another approach. He tickled her side. Nothing. Then he went to her feet and softly caressed them. Nothing. He sat up and tried to pull Sara up but her head fell back exposing her long neck. Grissom found that he was offered the best of opportunities and_ _he didn't let that chance slip. He started his sensual assault by alternating between lavishing and nibbling at this sensitive area with his lips. No reaction. He laid her back carefully. He started to undress her. Sooner or later, she would react. But he did not want to make love to her while she was playing ragdoll. Stupid game. Not funny. Still, she remained unresponsive. He deliberately tousled her tank top knowing she was sensitive to her clothes. No response. Dammit! After he pulled her slacks down and Sara kept being 'dead', he decided to turn her onto her stomach. Normally, it went without difficulty. But turning a woman seemingly unconscious could not be that well-calculated. With a huge thud, Sara landed on the floor._

"_Crap, ouch, shit, aww, fuck!"_

_Trying hard to __contain his laughter, he was next to her in a second, "Exclusive vocabulary for a ragdoll."_

"_You did it on purpose."_

"_I had a purpose but __it wasn't throwing you onto the floor, now that you mention…"_

"_I hit my butt."_

"_I'll kiss it better," he promised._

"_Yes, you can kiss my ass, lover!"_

"_As the lady wish__es."_

_And this time, Sara could not remain unresponsive. Grissom made sure her butt was covered with caresses and kisses asking her from time to time which part of her body got also hit. They were resting in each other's arms when Sara's cell phone went off. She blindly reached for the phone but found slippers instead. She opened her eyes and realized for the first time they were still on the floor. She nudged her lover to get up and lie in bed again, and then she answered the phone._

"_Sara, it's Catherine. I know you still have time to come in but we have an abandoned car in the desert and I thought I give it a try at calling you to see if you could go with Greg to check on what it's about."_

"_Then, I better go right to the scene. Send me the co-ordinates and I'll meet Greg there."_

"_Thanks. See you later."_

_Sara looked at Grissom who was already in __bed waiting for her, although he realized she had to get ready for work. So he started to get up only to be stopped by the young woman, "Sit, and lie down!"_

"_I'm not a dog!" he retorted._

"_You're right, you are my sexy stallion, but you will stay in bed."_

_He reluctantly leaned back. He __loved watching his wife dress. He decided to do exactly just that and pushed himself higher in the bed intending to lean against the backboard. He was too busy with watching Sara drying herself after the quickest shower a human could manage that he accidentally hit his head on the headboard._

"_Fuck."_

"Okay, so where do I have to go to find Sara?" Greg asked.

"Here, these are the co-ordinates. But your job is to find the scene, then process it, not to find Sara!"

"Come on, you know how I meant it."

"That's exactly why I warn you."

* * *

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Catherine Willows did not mind staying in the Lab. At least she could finish some paperwork. It did not matter that she was already done with them. It was her perfect cover story. She wondered if it had been Grissom's too. But no, cases were Grissom's cover story for not completing paperwork. After a few hours, she made sure that everything was on track, and she went to the ladies' room to refresh her make-up. The room seemed empty for what she was grateful. After what had happened in here not long ago, this place lost its hit on her top list. Catherine went to the basins to wash her hands when a dark haired woman stepped out of the only occupied stall that until now went unnoticed by Catherine. She looked into the mirror and saw the reflection of Mandy who stopped dead in her track. After a short hesitation, the younger woman stepped closer to the sink and then let the water run. Mandy smiled at her awkwardly but was out of the room in a flash. It felt weird but everybody had their own oddities. Catherine just smiled thinking that everybody was entitled to have secrets. _I also have some._ _Secrets? Damn it, I have one! That's why she isn't looking at me in the eye or fled from here,_ she thought. _Mandy was in here that day! Of course, she is a brunette and she has been avoiding me for a while now. Now, it's all clear. Jeez, I have to talk with her._

She rushed out of the room and saw that Mandy had just stepped into the Break Room. She followed the woman and before Mandy could pour herself a cup of coffee, Catherine was right next to her. They both knew that the other knew. There was no need to beat about the bush. They agreed that it was not a topic any of them would want to discuss in the Lab, so Catherine called it a coffee break and the two women went to a coffee shop nearby. Both seated themselves in a booth and ordered their beverages. They looked at each other evidently embarrassed.

"Look, Cath, I wasn't supposed to eavesdrop on you, however, I would hardly call it that. I…I wanted to tell you that I…I was probably taken for someone else."

"Yes, I thought you were someone else. Not that it could explain why I kept talking shit."

"Shit?"

"You know, the garlic, the Dracula stuff…it was just that pattern on Sa…somebody's neck and…you know."

"Ah, of course," Mandy smiled. "And don't worry, I didn't tell anybody how you learned to kiss."

Now, openly blushing, "Oh, I…I made it up…a bit, don't take me seriously."

"You don't have to be embarrassed. Everybody has…a way to practice."

"I'd appreciate if you keep it between us."

"You can trust me. I'm not gossiping."

For a few more minutes, both Catherine and Mandy felt uncomfortable but slowly as their beverages got consumed they got relaxed. And minutes later, they were just laughing at Catherine's special way of learning how to kiss. Mandy even swore that she would try it out right after she got home.

"Ladies, your coffees are covered"

"What do you mean?" the two women asked in unison.

"A gentleman paid for them and told me to tell you that he loved the lesson," the middle-aged waitress said unsure what the message really meant.

"What gentleman?" Catherine asked nervously.

"He was sitting behind you, and just left a minute ago. Some cop or something."

"How would you know that?"

"When I told him we didn't do requests, he said he was with LVPD."

Catherine tried not to faint, "How did he look like?"

"He was tall, no, wait not that tall, but he looked handsome but it is said that if a man is nicer than the devil, then they are considered handsome. Sorry, I gotta go to other tables. Enjoy your treats," and with that she left.

"Great, now, we are in it together, we have to find that jerk, Mandy!"

"Um…Cath, enjoying a delicious pie doesn't make me a pastry-cook."

* * *

GSRGSRGSR ------------ GSRGSRGSR ------------ GSRGSRGSR ------------ GSRGSRGSR

Catherine stayed in her office for the rest of the shift. Her brain was working like ants on their ant-hill. She was fed up with mongers. And her head started to throb so she closed all the files that lay in front of her that remained un-revised. Her new destination was the Break Room. She was happy to find her friends and co-workers in there.

Sara and Greg shared their findings with Catherine. The car that was abandoned had belonged to an old man who had died of natural causes a month ago in hospital. The blood that was found in the back seat of the car had come from his dog that had been hit by a car and the guy had wanted to bury him in the desert. Then the car had been stolen and finally, had been abandoned. Nick's case was still open. He was not happy at all. All leads had turned out dead ends. All the four CSIs were sitting and sipping their coffees when Grissom stepped into the room.

"Good morning!"

"What are you doing here? You should be in bed!" Sara reprimanded him but then she let a smile grace her face.

"Hi Gil," Cath interrupted the woman. "Are you feeling better?"

"Hey boss," Nick said but then looked at Catherine to let her know who he really was devoted to.

"I'm perfectly well, thanks for asking. I thought I'd come by and take my Sara home."

Greg sat there with his mouth closed. He only said hi to Grissom while keeping his glance downward. He did not really fear him but it was a fact that Grissom had a way of threatening people even without words.

"How did the cases go?" he finally asked sitting down next to Sara.

"Mine is still open, because people lie, even their dogs lie, it seems even the evidence lies, and it's crazy!" Nick complained.

"There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true." Grissom quoted.

"Wise as always," Nick smiled and asked, "Who said it?"

"Winston Churchill." Sara said with pride shining from her words.

_Look, Grissom papa updated his selection__, not Shakespeare anymore_, Greg thought but then realized what he had suggested. He wanted a few days off.

_Half of the lies are true? Jesus, what is he saying? __I didn't lie; it wasn't a lie, okay, only a small part of it. But hey, let him think it was a lie, it's better than the truth. So he was at the coffee shop. He has been my friend for ages but this is what I'd not have wanted to share with him. I should have kept my mouth shut_, Catherine Willows whined already preparing herself for the embarrassing talk to come.


	12. Marking Territories

Chapter Twelve

Judy was busy with finishing her shift. Only a few letters to send out, a few notes to place in the recipients' proper mailboxes, and soon she was ready to give her precious chancel to the day shift receptionist and to leave the CSI building. Not only was Judy who wanted to call it the end of the shift but also the team. Greg was the first who left the building; he was followed by Nick, Sara and Grissom. Some of them waved goodbye to Judy, one of them only nodded at her direction but Judy said 'see you later' to all of them. Catherine, after mooning away several minutes in her office just to save time, approached the exit that promised her peace from the craziness of her job or of her little secret. She was deep in thoughts when Judy's half shouting jerked her back into reality. Why people kept shouting if they did not hear the speaker on the other end of the phone remained an enigma to the blonde supervisor. Fearing that this call was for her, Catherine quickened her steps leaving the young receptionist to her job.

"Excuse me, can you repeat it again?"

"My…me is…oe Franklin and I'd…k..to speak to…," the caller said.

"Who? Sorry, I can't hear you."

"Doctor…e Fr…lin."

"Doctor Who?"

"I'd like to…alk to Mr…eg, if…," the poor caller tried very hard but not much came through the line.

"Ah, you want to talk to…uh…who?"

"Can I leave a mess…a, please?" he asked hopelessly.

"Sure, sure," she answered hopefully.

"We met…o days ago when we…re c…ed there for a…"

Judy was taking notes tirelessly, every piece of information could be important…for someone. She tried to squeeze out as many facts as she could.

"He was wonderful and so tender, so neat," he shared the first clearly audible sentence. But the line went half dead again.

"Sorry, can you please repeat this one?"

"…at Frank's at 7 pm…corner booth…next to the…, my number is 895-3504."

"895-3504?" she read it back to the caller hoping at least the number would be correct.

"Yes, that's correct, thank…"

With that last bit of a possible thank you, the line went dead. Toni, the day shift receptionist was just laughing at Judy's irritated expression who - after she had given Toni a piece of her mind - placed the note onto her desk, put her coat on and clocked out. On her way out, she greeted Ecklie who had just arrived.

"Any message?" he asked Toni without even saying hi to her.

"Yes, sir. Two from the Sheriff, one from a representative of the Press and there is one that I don't know for sure if it is for you, sir."

Taking the three messages from her, he asked, "What is that other note saying?"

"According to Judy, the line was very bad, she could catch bits and bites only," she was saying when the impatient Ecklie tore out the paper from the woman's hand.

"Um…a certain gentleman who has E in his name…wonderful and tender?" he read the lines and he got the answer he was looking for.

"Maybe it is for Greg or Henry or …" she tried.

"It says wonderful! It must be me," he did not look at the woman again, just left.

* * *

CSICSICSICSI -CSICSICSICSI -CSICSICSICSI -CSICSICSICSI

Originally, Catherine had just wanted to run in to Frank's for a coffee but then she decided to grab something to eat too. She sat down and soon she ate her dinner. Precisely at 7 pm, Conrad Ecklie appeared in the entrance of the restaurant. He looked around to find 'that' booth in the corner. He took a seat and waited for the person who thought he was wonderful and tender. A few minutes later, a young man stepped into the room wearing an EMT uniform. He went directly to his destination, to the booth in the corner.

"Excuse me sir!" he addressed Ecklie.

"Yes?"

"Would you please sit somewhere else? I'm waiting for someone and we agreed to meet here, in this booth."

"Same here, so sorry."

Disappointed, the man sat into the closest booth. He waited, Ecklie waited but no one came. The young man got even more disappointed, Ecklie became angry. He pulled out the note he had been given in the morning and after twenty more minutes, he dialed the number. All of a sudden, the EMT's cell went off. He answered it.

"Hello? It's Joe Franklin."

"Joe? A male Joe? Wait!"

The voice sounded close for both of them, and so, they turned their heads to each other's direction. Both closed their phones - Joe amused, Ecklie embarrassed.

"Well, I tried to leave a message for Greg, or at least I think it is his name. I saw him in the ambulance when we called for taking a certain Mr. Grissom. I understood that Mr. Grissom is a …well, he has a wife. But that Greg guy was so wonderful, so tender…"

That Ecklie was shocked was an understatement, he was mortified.

"It can't be happening to me," he said. "Then it is a misunderstanding. But I'm sure that Greg wouldn't be interested in such an offer."

"How do you know?" he smiled at the bald man. "But hey, it doesn't matter, you have beautiful eyes! What if we…," he never had the chance to finish the sentence.

"I gotta go. It's a terrible misconception. Have a nice day!"

Ecklie was practically running out of the restaurant when he banged into the also leaving Catherine. Both looked at each other with surprised expression on their faces. He knew that the worst part of this was just going to happen.

"Sweetheart," called Joe after him. "If you changed the team you are playing in, keep my number!"

Watching the guy leaving, Catherine's eyes could not get any larger, "Sweetheart?"

"It's not what you think it is."

"Yeah, I can see that!" she grinned at him.

"Come on, I had a wife."

"Had."

"Do not construct theories, Catherine. He thought that I am some one else from the Lab."

"It's still very funny, don't you think?" she was now openly enjoying the situation.

"Look Catherine, I expect discretion. Here, you can act like a child but in my Lab, I will not take any of your gossiping."

"Really? And just how discreet you were when you informed me about the evaluation that Riley Adams had given you? Anybody could hear you shouting that I'm a horrible supervisor. You didn't even want to listen to my version. So don't expect me to be more discreet than you were."

"The difference is that this case is an unfortunate misunderstanding, and that was fact!"

"The fact is that I saw you dating a man. Period!"

"But I'm not gay. Don't ignore this little fact, you know me!"

"But I am a good supervisor and you ignored this little fact, however, you also know me!"

Feeling Catherine's rage, Ecklie tried another escape out of this ridiculous situation, "You keep your big mouth shut, I also will keep mine closed."

"What? I have nothing to hide."

"Really? Just think about it."

Catherine suddenly went very silent. So did Ecklie. Both tried to figure out what the other knew. "Was it him who had eavesdropped my little secret yesterday", she was thinking. "Does she really have something to keep low profile", he was wondering.

Ecklie's phone went off breaking the oppressive silence. He signed her to think about what he had said to her and left her there standing dumbfounded.

* * *

CSICSICSICSI -CSICSICSICSI -CSICSICSICSI -CSICSICSICSI

In the Lab, everything seemed quiet. Only one young CSI looked extraordinary cheerful. Greg tried to hide something on his neck that was hard to disguise. It was a definite evidence of a lawless fan he had had at home earlier. Although, he started to get used to not living alone anymore, the experience was new to him. And probably the noises were new to his neighbors, too. Greg Sanders definitely loved her with all of her flaws and all. To outsiders, it had to appear as aggression but the youngest investigator adored extravagant behaviors.

"I never thought it would be this hard and strenuous to live with her," he thought. "But she is adorable, reminds me of my Sara…okay, his Sara. Untamed and uncut. Full of energy and charm."

"Hey, Greg! So deep in thought," Sara mused as she entered the room.

"Yeah, I was thinking about you," he released a huge grin.

"You better not," was Grissom's immediate reaction as he followed Sara.

"Hi Grissom. How are you feeling tonight?" he asked the ex-boss hoping he sounded as sincere and submissive as he intended to. His peace offer had to alleviate the lion's rage. Greg almost smiled at the metaphor.

"I'm good, thank you!"

"Thaaat's good….good." he nodded intensely revealing his suggestive pattern.

"Lookie there," exclaimed Catherine who had just arrived pointing at Greg's neck.

"Oh, not again Cath, please," Sara faked a whine remembering too well her own struggle with Catherine's discovery.

"What?"

"Leave her alone, Sara. She can't help it. Our Catherine is a walking spy-o-meter," Grissom uttered in his usual calm manner.

"Hey, I'm a CSI, of course I notice everything," she defended. "Although, I missed the signs of your relationship for years," she thought, still could not understand how it could have happened.

Finally, Nick came in, too. He looked fresh and energized. He looked around and greeted everybody with a simple 'hello'.

"Whoa, Greggo! New girlfriend?" Nick asked his friend.

"Yes, I have," he replied with an unmistakable proud in his voice. "But a gentleman never talks."

"Then you can tell us everything," Catherine teased him.

"I don't want to ruin your party here but I worked long hours to identify the origin of the wine that was found at the scenes," Hodges informed the CSIs in the room.

"Which case are you talking about?" Greg asked him.

"Of course I should have known better. You are still asleep, Greg. What is that on your neck?"

Sara leaned closer to Greg to get a nearer view of his marks. Slowly, a wide and naughty smirk formed on her face. She inched even closer and whispered into his ear, "I learned to read the signs correctly, my friend…"

.

.

_Sara__ drove to a little town in Lincoln County to help Nick out in an investigation he led as the team investigated the disappearance of an entire family. The blood evidence suggested that all four family members were dead; however, Nick believed that the youngest daughter was still alive._

"_Grissom called me from the airport. He's teaching a human remains recovery class at the body farm. He said you needed backup," she explained why she was there, "and I figure you needed coffee, but ... looks like you already took care of it."_

_They were working on this case for long-long hours now, and Nick was so sure that the little Cassie – it was __the name of the youngest member of the McBridge family – was still alive waiting somewhere for some one to rescue her. Sara was worried about him. He took this case harder than he should have. She felt helpless. Once she was alone, she dialed Grissom's number to ask him what to do about this. But she got no answer. Later, Sara went back to help Nick to interrogate a guy. It went worse than she could have liked it. Nick was unusually aggressive and it bothered both Sara and Nick himself. Sara was now determined to call her lover but again, no answer. After several attempts without any success, she gave up and thought she was going to look up the hotel he had mentioned earlier. It was not hard to find the right number as there was only one hotel in that area._

"_Hotel __Kelkuu, how can I help you?"_

"_Hello, my name is Sara Sidle and I'd like to speak to a Mr. Gil Grissom, please."_

"_A moment please," a female voice __could be heard through the line. After a few seconds she continued, "I'm sorry ma'am, we have no Gil Grissom listed on our guest list."_

"_Oh," was her only reaction._

"_Are you sure that he wanted to stay here?" the woman tried to save the situation._

"_I was. Do you know if there is any other hotel in the area?" Sara asked trustingly._

"_No, we are the only one."_

"_There is supposed to be a conference in your town, sort of, a forensic course."_

"_No, I am afraid you are mistaken. We would know about that. That is always a big event here. I'm sorry."_

"_Yeah, me too. Thanks for your help."_

_After hanging up, she sat there motionless for who knew how long just staring in front of her. There had to be an explanation. There was no course on the body farm in spite of Grissom had told her it would be. He was not in the hotel however he had stated he would be. He definitely lied to her, although, he had said he would never do that. Sara was contemplating to check the airport or to use the Lab's resources to find him but it was just not her style. She respected Grissom and herself more than to spy upon him. And probably she feared what she would find out. They had agreed not to jump to conclusion neither in their jobs nor in their private lives. But now, following the evidence pointed to a direction Sara did not like. So she decided to wait. She wanted it or not, Warrick's words echoed in her head from time to time._

"_YOU JUST DON'T LIKE OTHER WOMAN IN HIS LIFE."_

"_I'M GOING TO PRETEND THAT I DIDN'T HEAR THAT," __had been her only response back then when they had investigated a murder of a deaf boy in her first year in Vegas._

_And she pretended that everything was fine, nothing bothered her. She was good at pretending. "Practice makes the master," she thought._

_Few days later, Grissom arrived home. Sara kissed him home, he hugged her tight._

"_How was your teaching going?"_

"_Um…it was…um…as usual. Interesting to me, boring to others."_

"_Did you like the hotel?"_

"_No, you weren't there," he smiled at her and she smiled at him. "Neither were you," she thought sadly._

_._

_.  
_

Sara was smiling at Hodges' perception. She always enjoyed Greg and Hodges' readiness for nagging each other. Old war, new battle.

"I have a young lady in my life," Greg answered Hodges.

"Oh, come on! I bet you bit yourself. You have a girlfriend? And don't try to lie, you are surrounding by CSIs."

"I'm a man of few words. You certainly can't understand it. So which case?"

"The Paula/Hugo case, what else? Wake up! Hell-lo!"

While the others were having a good time with teasing Greg, Sara was waking memories of the events that had happened four years ago when Grissom had arrived home from his cryptic journey.

.

.

_She became more and more agitated but she did not want to make a scene at the airport. No, she did not want to make a scene anywhere. She was a silent sufferer. If he decided to leave her for another woman, what could she do? __"I would grieve for the rest of my life and die alone," she consoled herself. She would try to figure it out what more the other one could offer. She disliked that woman already._

"_YOU JUST DON'T LIKE OTHER WOMAN IN HIS LIFE."_

_Suddenly she felt very tired. She had to pretend enough at work, she was not going to pretend at home. They got inside of their nest and Sara's courage __suddenly disappeared._

"_I'm going to take a shower, Honey, be back in a few," Grissom called from the bathroom._

"_Okay. Are you hungry?"_

"_More than one way." She had to smile at that._

_She started to slice the cucumber imagining it was 'his' cucumber if he really cheated on her.__ Even though the idea made her smile, she knew that she would never hurt him in any way. To them, love was free of any kind of violence. But for some reason, never a cucumber got ever sliced up into so small pieces like this one. Only coincidence._

_At home, they were absolutely dif__ferent from the "Lab-Sara & Lab-Grissom". In their sanctuary, they loved playing tricks on each other. Momentarily forgetting he had lied to her, Sara went into the bathroom and hid all of their towels knowing Grissom would blindly reach for one of them. But it was Sara who had to reach for something to support her body. Grissom, oblivious of his lover's presence, was washing his hair turning left then right under the spray of water revealing a palpable bite mark on his chest._

"_YOU JUST DON'T LIKE OTHER WOMAN IN HIS LIFE."_

_Again, she pretended that everything was okay. After dinner, they went straight to bed. He seemed sound asleep when Sara found this moment __the best to inspect his wounds more thoroughly. She could not believe her eyes. It could not be happening. She pulled out a magnifier glass from her drawer and snuggled closer to the man. Perfect pattern of teeth print._

"_Damn vampire bitch, ruining his flawless skin. Nooo! Damn him for letting her…" she moaned._

_She was just staring at the mark, tears in her eyes. But she went on and admired him inch by inch. She went to study his neck. His skin was spotless even under this device. His lips were like muslin, his wonderful nose, oh and those sparkling blue eyes. His hair and his… Wait, sparkling blue eyes? No one slept with open eyes._

"_Would you mind telling me what you are doing?" he asked her openly enjoying her embarrassment._

"_Would you mind telling me where you were exactly? Really? Because you surely didn't teach any classes."_

"_How did you figure it out?" _

"_I tried to call you on your cell and as I couldn't reach you, I tried the hotel…"_

"_I see. Yes, I lied. I wasn't there."_

"_Do you have another woman in your life?"_

"_What? Of course not."_

"_Why can't you be honest with me?"_

"_I'm honest with you. Okay, I lied to you but I had my reasons."_

"_What reason could it be where the prize is a bite mark?"_

"_You're adorable. Do you know that?"_

"_Yes, no!"_

"_What day will be next Sunday?"_

_Utterly confused, "Another one?"_

"_On Sunday, we'll have been together for a year, my dear."_

_After Sara could not utter a word, he continued, "I thought I would surprise you. I have a cabin in the mountains I had bought years ago and I went to check if everything was okay for our little vacation."_

"_Your chest…"_

"_Yes, the neighbor's young puppy. He thought I __was a threat to his females and decided to teach me a lesson. And he could run faster than me…evidently."_

"_Oh, my God! Let me see it."_

"_It is nothing, darling. He was just a little guy learning to mark his territory. He is a cutie anyway. We are friends now. We were introduced to each other after this incident. His name is Pelle. A real gator."_

"_What if we go there and he wants to hurt me?"_

"_I'll take revenge and bite him back."_

"_I'm so sorry. I thought…"_

"_What? That I am capable of such a betrayal? Never, can you hear me? Never."_

_Sara nodded her head__ yes. "I was so scared. But this mark is nothing like a human bite mark," now she was grinning._

"_I guess with that magnifier still in your hand, you can read the signs now."_

"_Correctly."_

_._

_.  
_

Hodges' speech was monotonic but full of information. Everybody took notes except Sara.

"Sara! Sara!" Grissom slightly shook her arm. "You okay?"

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't listening. So the origin of the wine is…?"

"As I said before, I studied the features of the wine, yes, all samples, and then I called some connections of mine to help your job and found that every sample is from Hungary."

"Oh," she said.

"You know a little country in Europe."

"I know where it is, Hodges, thanks, I lived in Paris and it is not that far from Hungary. Oh, you know, France is in Europe, too."

"Okay-okay guys, no more chit-chat," Catherine told everyone. "We have a job to do. We have to see what connection Paula and Hugo have with Hungary."

One by one, the investigators left the room. Grissom waited for Sara to join him, Sara waited for Greg to join her. Greg waited for everybody to leave. Finally giving up hopes that he would not be teased any further, he asked Sara if she had anything more to say. And she had.

"When can I see your doggie?"


	13. Touch not watch

Chapter Thirteen

Grissom waited patiently for Sara to finally leave Greg alone and join him. Normally, he was not interested in what the others talked about but it was obvious that Sara had been preoccupied with something during the briefing and he needed to know what was bothering her. The fact that she had been whispering into the young CSI's ear did not help either. After everybody had gone to their business and they had been left alone, he touched Sara's arm to get her attention.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her.

"Sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

"You seemed miles away during the meeting and then…"

"Then?"

"You smiled at Greg…twice."

"I always smile at him; he's my best friend, Gil."

"But then you whispered into his ear, too."

After a short laugh, she became serious, "You can't be jealous of Greg. It's ridiculous!"

"I'm not. What did you tell him?"

She did not want to go into details about that memory and how silly she had felt at that time, so she just said it was nothing.

"See? There's something you don't want to tell me."

"I told him that I'm not wearing panties tonight!"

At the sight of his shocked face, she had to laugh again, although, she found the whole interrogation very out of character for him. For seconds, he was just gawping and blinking fast.

"Come on, I am just kidding," she tried another approach. "I saw a video on YouTube a few days ago. And I just told him about it. Satisfied?" she asked him hoping that he would leave it alone.

"Oh. I didn't mean to…I don't know what got into me. Let's get to work."

"You're jealous," she teased Grissom.

"No, I'm not. Of Greg? He could be my son," he giggled at the thought.

"So you would have become a father at the age of 17?"

"I was a good boy at that age."

"Greg's not that young anyway," she winked at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're jealous."

"I told you I am not."

"Right, because you don't have any reason to be."

He knew that but witnessing the play of emotions over Sara's face had confused him and wanted to know what had caused the distress. And, if it had something to do with Greg, then Grissom surely had to know that. What he felt was definitely not jealousy; at least it was he kept telling himself. It was concern, he decided.

It was hard for Grissom to concentrate on the case at hand when all of his thoughts were around Sara. He was watching the files in front of him but seeing nothing. He could hear his wife reciting information about Hugo and Paula but the pieces of information were not really registered in his head.

"So what do we know?"

"You aren't listening to what I am telling you, are you?" Sara asked. "What's wrong with you today?"

"Sorry, I'm listening now," he presented his unique smile preserved only for her when he was in trouble.

Sara faked an annoyed expression, "Hmm, so what we know is not much. The couple was known as Hugo and Paula Dalnoki/Desewffy/Dardos and finally Deveny…till now. Four crimes with the same MOs, first scene is Iwilei, Hawaii, and then Bicknell, Utah, the next one is Vegas, Nevada and their latest is Albany, Georgia. Only books and DVDs were stolen, episodes of a series were left in the middle of a puddle of wine. That's all."

"But now, we know that in each case the wine, they used, is Hungarian. That can be our starting point."

"Yes. That can be the connection."

They were about to dig deeper into the files when Sara's beeper went off. She unbelted the device and looked at it to see who had sent the message. It was Brass who informed her that another scene had been reported an hour ago. Sara's eyes grew wider then she looked at her husband and shared the new information.

"Saraland?" he froze in amazement. "In Alabama?"

"What are you? A GPS? How do you know that place?"

But the answer never came as Greg rushed into the room where Sara and Grissom were sitting in front of a computer.

"Just heard about the new scene!" he was out of his mind.

"How is it possible that you know about it already?" Sara asked.

"Dear Sara, I have ears everywhere," he teased her back.

"Well, and?" Grissom told the man.

"How extremely funny it is, Sara!"

"Funny how?" Grissom pressed the word 'how' a little.

"I wish I could fly out and investigate the house, my only chance to land on Sara," he grinned not knowing that this day was not the right one for him to joke with Grissom.

Sensing his rising temper, Sara stood up and escorted Greg out of the room saying that Grissom and her needed coffee. The last thing she saw before she strode off past the door was Grissom sitting slack jawed and bug eyed. Sara wondered what he had on mind to gaze at her like that. She would ask him later. To avert his thought, Grissom called Brass.

"Hi Jim."

"Hey, Gil."

"About the new scene in Alabama. Is the pattern still the same?"

"Yes, clear burglary, a videotape, wine…I guess it is the same type and missing books and DVDs."

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

About 2100 miles away from Las Vegas, a certain couple were sitting in a car. Silently. The tension was palpable. Not a single word was spoken after they had had to return to Saraland to get back Paula's bra they had forgotten about earlier. It had been the risk neither of them wanted to take. They had been extremely lucky. The owners had been late, so they could come back without any problem. Only a nosy neighbor had tried to stop and grill them about what their intentions there had been. They had told the old woman that they were friends of the owners and it had seemed that the answer had satisfied the old bag.

"How long will you be angry with me?"

"I'm not angry with you, I'm angry with us. This was an unnecessary risk."

"If I promise that I won't wear bra in the future, will you please talk to me?"

"Then no more panties either," Hugo smiled at Paula for the first time after they had left Saraland.

"Who said I'm wearing any at the moment?"

Gaining control over their car again, Hugo cursed under his nose. He had to concentrate more carefully on the driving. Damn car still had no autopilot built in.

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

Grissom was sitting in front of Sara's the huge monitor. He hoped that Sara really would bring him a cup of coffee and her action had not been only a poor attempt at rescue Greg's ass. As he entertained himself with the vision of the tortured Greg – tortured by decomps of course -, Grissom opened an internet browser. At first, he just checked his mails, but then his curiosity won. Panties or YouTube, panties or YouTube.

"_I saw a video on YouTube a few days ago. And I just told him about it. Satisfied?"_

He could not explain his actions if his life depended on it, still, he clicked on Tools/History. He did not expect to find anything as Sara always deleted the history of her searching. It was her habit. Yes, since college. He was surprised to find some links from yesterday but there were no links from earlier. Sara said she had seen the video yesterday. So he clicked on the only link leading him to a YouTube video. He took a deep breath when he saw the title of the video. He felt guilty. He would not spy on Sara. He had never done this before so why would he do now? He closed the link and leaned back waiting for Sara and the coffee.

"_I saw a video on YouTube a few days ago. And I just told him about it. Satisfied?"_

After a few minutes, he could not resist the temptation and he reopened the browser and clicked on the play button. He could hear his own heartbeats in his ears. He opened one more window in order to camouflage his action in case someone interrupted him. And the video showed its first frames.

**Human Files **_That's okay_, Grissom thought.

**Desire, intimacy, fantasy, lust…**_ What…what…_

**Sex Sense**_ Sounds interesting but why were you watching stuff like this, Sara?_

And the narration started leaving Grissom's mouth open. If he watched it on TV, he would not find it disturbing. No, it was not disturbing but sure as hell that it made him think. So he went on watching the clip.

**Mee****t Carrie and Darryl. After seven years of courtship, they are getting married today. So far, they have successfully navigated the complicated chemical mix of love and sex. And made it to the altar. But the voyage just began. Now Carrie and Darryl can only hope that when the sex wears off, love really will keep them together.**

**Love and sex. They seem like a perfect match. Sometimes, they are in harmony. But other times, they clash. When sex and love collide, they can produce a harmonious relationship. But if they don't, love and sex can leave the couple emotionally bruised and battered. Fresh research has been just starting to unlock the mystery of love and sex.**

By now, Grissom was sitting there glued to the screen. _What's that supposed to mean?_ He feared the answer. If the sex wore off? They could only hope that their love would keep them together?

"Why did you watch it, Sara?" he whispered to no one. "And why did you share it with Greg?"

Other words caught his attention. He continued watching the video with more and more self-doubt. There were too many similarities between them and these Carrie and Darryl. 7 years for that couple, 10 years for them.

**But what determines a person's inclination to be bajiggity for someone? It's apparent that most of us would use past maps of our learning experiences to help us pinpoint the desirable traits to look for in a person for future reference.**

"I don't wanna be your experience for future reference. I am your future. Please."

After all this time being with Sara – in relationship or in marriage -, he was still insecure. He knew it did not make sense. He trusted Sara and knew she loved him. Still. His eyes were on the screen again.

**We distinguish three stages in relationships. The first stage of the relationship is scoring. When someone sweeps us off our feet, most likely we are going to recall the past relationship experiences that can help us filter out the characteristics that would turn us off right off the bat. After individual evaluation, we either hit it off after getting to know each other better or end up being like total strangers, because we learn that he/she is inept for us based on the past programming.**

**The second stage is falling in love. Like chocolate, there are times we feel ecstatic about a person, as if we were drugged in thinking about the person as being perfect and flawless. ****In the beginning of the relationship, we often portray our partner as being perfect and flawless.**

**The third stage is building attachment. ****Several components - including passion, intimacy and commitment - will fluctuate through the length of time the couple shares the relationship together.  
Commitment and attachment are the significant indicators of how strongly the person strives to stay committed in a relationship.  
Just like the fading coffee fix, the intense phenethylamine that makes us interpret our partner as being perfect might slowly wear off, as the relationship proceeds in the long-run. 5 year is believed to be the transitional milestone that instigates disgruntled couples to break off the relationship or draws the strongly emotionally bonded and committed couples together.**

**The most crucial component in maintaining a successful and rewarding relationship is sharing life with someone of similar values, perception of the world, perspectives about life and future, and common goals.**

Grissom felt defeated by the time the video ended. He suspected that he overreacted it but he could not help but worry. He had done everything wrong. They practically skipped the first stage. He was sure that both of them had fallen in love with each other in San Francisco. Or perhaps, in their case, they had done everything backwards. First, they had felt the attachment between them. Same values, same goals. Then they had fallen in love. Could these happen on the same day? And the scoring? He had not really courted her. The video mentioned 5 years. They were married for a year. He suddenly stood up and got determined not to let their relationship fade. They had survived so much; he would not let her down. He would show her that their marriage would last forever. He did not care how sappy it sounded.

In their relationship, it was always Sara who was more playful. Once they had talked about what love meant to them. And Sara's answer had touched him deeply.

.

"_Ouch!" Sara groaned._

"_What happened? Need a hand?"_

"_No! Just stay where you are and close your eyes!" Sara demanded._

"_Sweetheart, I would be happy if you gave me a cake, no need for you to get into whatever you are into…"_

"_You said you don't like cakes for your birthday. So you won't get any."_

_Few moments later, a "huge" Sara stepped in front of Grissom who still kept his eyes closed._

"_You can touch but not watch. Tell me what you feel."_

_Slowly, he reached for her. He felt something soft and something rigid. One soft to be exact and eight rigid, long things. The number eight gave him some ideas. A smug smile graced his face. He touched her head that was ended in two long __antennae__-like something. Now, he openly laughed._

"_What are you__, Sarita?"_

"_You tell me, Bugman!"_

"_Turn around, I need to feel your back."_

_Sara did as she was told. Grissom could not keep his eyes closed any longer. And he faced a human-sized ladybug grinning back at him. She looked so ridiculously sweet in her costume that he knew that tears had to brim his eyes so hard he laughed._

"_Happy birthday, love!"_

"_This is the __sweetest present I've ever got."_

"_Make love to your new toy!"_

"_I can't do that!"_

"_Why not?"_

_He could hardly hold back his laughter, "You are a male ladybug.__ And I'm not into…you know…"_

"_What? I especially told the __jerk that I wanted a female ladybug."_

"_And?"_

"_He told me that this costume was for kids in the first place, and they didn't give a damn about its sex."_

"_So?"_

"_So he showed me another one and said it __was a female stuff. Evidently he had me over!"_

"_You're amazing and a very sexy ladybug, no matter what!"_

"_Then help me out of this costume. I wanna hatch. Wait! I'm already hatched. Hmm, don't care, make love to me!"_

_Hours later, Grissom was still smiling at the sight of the costume. He loved Sara's playful side. She was so different from the Sara who worked for the LVPD.__ When he asked her why that was, she had a simple answer._

"_When I'm in love, really in love, I dare to be playful or even fool in front of my lover."_

"_What else did you dress up?"_

"_This was the first time."_

_.  
_

Grissom left the room in hopes of finding Sara but returned to the room immediately when he remembered that he had forgotten about the video which was still open for anybody to watch it. He closed the window and logged out of the computer. Once again, he was walking through the corridor when he heard loud laughing coming from the Break Room. Approaching the place, he saw Hodges, Greg, Henry and Sara snickering at something Greg had just told them. He stepped into the room right next to Sara pushing Greg aside a little.

"Hi boss," Hodges greeted Grissom for the third time a day.

"What was so funny?" he ignored Hodges.

"Greg told us a joke. He said he could make Sara laugh whenever he wanted." Hodges informed his ex-boss-recent God.

"Really?"

"You know Grissom, a naughty joke and Sara is laughing. Not a big deal," Greg answered.

"Of course, I don't know any naughty jokes," Hodges tried to suck up to him again.

"I do," Grissom surprised everybody, even Sara. If Greg could make his Sara laugh, he could do it, too. Scoring!

"Shoot man!" Greg fueled Grissom's pride.

"An old, lonely woman went to a matchmaking agency to find her ideal partner. She wanted a man who couldn't sleep around, who couldn't hit her but exceptional in bed. After a week, someone rang the bell at the door. She looked at the man in wheelchair. He had no arms and no legs. The woman asked him what he wanted. He said he was sent by the agency. The old lady took pity on the poor guy and decided that she wouldn't send him away immediately. She asked him why he thought that he was the perfect partner for her. He said that he had no legs to go to the neighbors for sex; he had no arms to hit her with. The lady asked her about his ability in bed. The guy said, _how do you think I pushed the button_?"

All the people in the room were shocked at first. No one expected Grissom to tell them a joke like this. Grissom, on the other hand, started to feel awkward by the silence that followed his joke. He could not look at Sara, he was sure of that she was shocked, too, or even embarrassed by his behavior. But in the next moment, she burst into laughter. Sara's bright chuckle was followed by all the three men. Grissom started to laugh with them relieved that he also could make Sara cry with laughter. He was proud.

Both Sara and Grissom drank some coffee and then returned to their work. Sara noticed that he kept stealing glances at her direction. Or better said at her butts' direction.

"What are you watching?"

"Me? I'm working."

"And watching my ass. Why?"

"Can't I watch my wife's derrière?"

"What the hell?" she did not know if she wanted to laugh or admonish him. Definitely not the latter.

"Are you really not wearing panties?"

"Don't tell me you were thinking about it till now," she was laughing now.

"Nooo. Just asking."

"Ah-ha."

"So?"

"You are still a CSI. Investigate it!"

The rest of the shift had been just as difficult for Grissom as it had been at the beginning of it, but finally they were on their way home. They had figured out that Paula and Hugo had to be Hungarians somehow. Or at least, the names they had used were all old Hungarian names. The wine was also Hungarian. Sara had spotted that in every case, it was a neighbor who had reported the burglary. Never the owners. It had given them another lead to follow. But not today as Grissom had said. So Sara and Grissom were going to their car when Grissom told Sara to go home alone because he had to call someone and then he would buy dinner for them. When Sara asked him whom he wanted to call, he lied that she did not know the guy. Sara found his behavior weird but she knew he did not like being questioned. So she did not. A little hurt by his not-really-honest answer, she got into their car and drove away. He felt that he might hurt her but he needed to call that guy. He wanted to surprise her. He wanted her to feel the same happiness he had felt when she had dressed up like a ladybug so many years ago or when she had danced cancan for him in Paris a few weeks ago. He wanted to show her that he also could be playful. He wanted to prove her that their marriage was more than a dubious output of some love chemicals. He could be funny and loving. He just hoped that he would not make a fool of himself. But in front of the only one whom he loved, really loved, it would not matter.

When he arrived home, the house was dark and there was no sign of someone being at home. He called for Sara but he got no answer. All the rooms were checked, no Sara. Grissom started to panic. He ran out of the house to see if her car was there. It was. But then where was she? He went back inside and wanted to wash his face forestalling a headache that was sure to come. And that was the moment when he noticed the little yellow reminder on the mirror.

_I went to __buy some chocolate. B back soon. Love, S_

Grissom signed. She was okay but went for chocolate. Chocolate meant no good. Sara usually bought chocolate at this early hour when she was sad. Or when she wanted to play. He hoped for the latter. So he had some time to prepare her surprise. He was still unsure about this, he felt stupid.

About twenty minutes later, he heard that someone unlocked the front door. He listened to the noises.

"Gil?"

"Bedroom."

She took her coat off and drank a glass of cold orange juice and went to find her husband…a pack of chocolate in her hand. Sara entered their bedroom but found the room empty. She wanted to step into the bathroom but it was locked.

"Hey, why did you lock the door?"

"Stay where you are. No move. Oh, move. To the bed. And close your eyes. Don't peep."

"Why?"

"Just do it. And remember, you can't peep. I trust you."

Giggling she said, "When will you come out?"

"I have to warn you. One sudden laugh or a slight sight of your teeth that might indicates a smile and I will have to hide for the rest of my life."

Already laughing, "I won't laugh."

"And you can't share this with Greg or with anybody!"

Laughing harder, "Okay, just let me see you already."

"I told you that you can't see me for a little while. You have to promise me. I'm shy you know!"

"Deal."

Grissom slowly unlocked the door to their bedroom. At first, only his head was visible. Then he took a deep breath and stepped out completely. He was blushing seriously when he walked to her. Sensing his closeness, Sara reached out one arm to touch him. First, she felt something soft, then something rigid. She frowned. She was investigating her husband's attire but soon she became impatient.

"Can I open my eyes?"

"I don't know. I'm nervous."

"Don't be. It's just me."

"Exactly."

"Can I?"

"Yes."

And she did as she got the permission. And for the first time in her life, she could not find the words she needed. Here was the man, she loved, dressed up like this. She knew it was a huge step for him. And he did it for her. She alternated between laughter and tears. Both won. She jumped off the bed and went right into his arms. Sara kissed him so hard that at first, Grissom could not decide if it was a punishment or a price. He hoped that it was the latter.

.

* * *

**Disclaimers:** I do not own anything or anybody related to CSI. Nor the lines I quoted in the story. I also do not own anything related to Discovery Channel's Sex Sense (The Sex Files) – season 3, ep 10


	14. Playing Games

Chapter Fourteen

The next day, Grissom turned crimson and Sara burst into laughter each time they thought about their earlier fun. Because it had been a great fun even though, Grissom had faked a suffering victim of his wife's passion. She had promised her beau that she would not tease him with his costume at work; however, it was the hardest thing to do for her. Whenever she looked at him, she felt the killing urge to laugh out loud. Grissom had promised her that he would not run away, however, to resist that temptation was the hardest thing to do for him. Whenever he looked at her, he felt the overwhelming need to hide and blush in private. Grissom felt as though everybody knew what they had done earlier that day. He fantasized that everybody knew exactly what he had worn just hours ago. For the first time in their careers, the Grissoms were almost late for work, so they had only a few minutes to make themselves comfortable with cups of coffee and the newest forensic magazines. But they did not have enough time to start reading them. Not that Grissom could have concentrated on the articles in it. After Catherine had assigned each CSI to their tasks, Grissom and Sara found themselves again in the same room in which they had worked yesterday. Soon, Sara was called away for a quick discussion with Brass leaving Grissom alone. Again.

"I'll be back, Stunner," Sara winked at him and then left.

Although, Grissom just laughed at the endearment Sara chose to address him this time, he had to admit that he loved all of them. He realized that he was nourished by words of endearment as much as Sara was. And she was not a mean woman in that department either. By her words he felt loved and treasured. According to Joy Browne most of sex was psychological, it happened between lovers' ears and not between their legs. Grissom had learned it perfectly since he had chosen the life Sara had offered him. She had taught him to open up and be a man he had always wanted to be.

.

_When he arrived home, the house was dark and there was no sign of __anyone being at home. He called for Sara but he got no answer. All the rooms were checked, no Sara. Grissom started to panic. He ran out of the house to see if her car was there. It was. But then where was she? He went back inside and wanted to wash his face forestalling a headache that was sure to come. And that was the moment when he noticed the little yellow note on the mirror. It said she had gone to buy chocolate. Grissom signed. She was okay but went for chocolate. Chocolate meant no good. Sara usually bought chocolate at this early hour when she was sad. Or when she wanted to play. He hoped that his lover would be in a good mood. So he had some time to prepare her surprise. He was still unsure about this, he felt stupid._

_He __reached into his pocket and retrieved a piece of paper covered with useful information about how to be a good alter-ego of 'that' man. Jesus, he thought._

"_Okay, one step at a time," he said to his reflection as he looked into the mirror in their bathroom._

_His palms were sweating profoundly, his heart rate increased significan__tly. Like a child, he started to giggle at his own inability of freeing himself from the apprehension he felt. But he was determined to try at least. He was not very satisfied by the choice of the costume but it had been the only one he had been willing to wear. The word 'willing' had just gotten a new dimension. Three other costumes had been shown to him._

_He had refused the 'Superman' __dress because he had found that the 'S' had become disfigured on his belly. Grissom had nice belly according to Sara but that damn 'S' had reminded him more of a Greek Zeta ( ζ ). Originally, he had found the letter funny. S… Sara. But then, it had looked horrible on him. So he had convinced himself that it had been for kids anyway._

_Grissom had declined the 'Dumbledore'__ outfit too, because he had learned that the character preferred boys to girls. Grissom had no problem with gays, still he had not wanted to dress up one. No matter Grissom had a beard or not, he would not be that Dumbledore._

_And finally, the most extreme had been the T-Rex costume. Actually, he had loved it the most but the thought of Sara having sex with an animal extinct million years ago, well, that had not pleased him at all. It had sounded pervert! The fact that he had made love to a Ladybug years ago had not registered in his head at that moment._

_So here he was in the bathroom, hesitating what to do next. He looked at the white jumpsuit, then grabbed the instruction and tried to translate it into Grissom._

_He was almost ready when he heard the noise. Sara, he thought and s__uddenly he became very nervous._

"_What if she thinks I am an old freak without morals?" he asked again and again._

"_Gil?"_

"_Bedroom," Grissom shouted from the little room. He bounced to the door and locked it. There were still some things he had to fix._

"_Hey, why did you lock the door?"_

"_Stay where you are. No move. Oh, move. To the bed. And close your eyes. Don't peep."_

_By this time, he got very edgy. He looked into the mirror and in spite of all his doubts, he had to laugh himself._

"_Why?"_

"_Just do it. And remember, you can't peep. I trust you."_

_Hearing that Sara was laughing already, Grissom heard her ask__, "When will you come out?"_

"_I have to warn you. One sudden laugh or a slight sight of your teeth that might indicates a smile and I will have to hide for the rest of my life."_

"_I won't laugh."_

"_And you can't share this with Greg or with anybody!"_

"_Okay, just let me see you already."_

"_I told you that you can't see me for a little while. You have to promise me. I'm shy you know!"_

"_Deal."_

_Slowly, Grissom unlocked the door and peeked out to see if Sara __had closed her eyes. Her eyes were closed indeed. He stepped closer to her and saw that she reached one of her arms towards him. He stepped into the touch. He let her feel the soft materials first, and only then the rigid stuff._

"_Can I open my eyes?"_

"_I don't know. I'm nervous."_

"_Don't be. It's just me."_

"_Exactly."_

"_Can I?"_

_He knew he could not postpone the __inevitable any longer, "Yes."_

_Grissom watched as Sara tentatively opened her eyes __and then they quickly grew wide. He saw her jumping off the bed and the next thing he felt was the kiss Sara pressed onto his lips. When she broke the kiss, she stepped back a little to adore this vision of beauty._

_He stood there __wordlessly waiting for the verdict. He was uncomfortable slightly in his snow white jumpsuit decorated with plenty of glue-on jewels and sequins. He poked some of them on his belt that was also decorated lavishly. Because the buckle was not gold, it was sprayed aureate. The collar was starched heavily so that it could stand up easily. As his friend had instructed, he had left the top four shirt buttons unfastened. He, however, had refused to put on the wig and because Grissom had sideburns on his own, he did not have to use any glue to make a pair of it._

_One thing he had had to do, though. As he__ had dropped the idea of using wig, this husband in love had applied hair gel in keeping with the character look he had been trying to recreate. His hair now looked shiny and virtually unmovable._

_.  
_

Grissom was blushing vigorously even from the memory of that game. He was grateful that he was alone in the room, so he could hide behind the monitor of Sara's computer. He did everything to be able to concentrate on the case at hand but the memories haunted him. Then why was he smiling? He pulled out his cell to call Sara. She answered him immediately.

"Your queen is speaking… Baby what you want me to do," she sang.

"Good! When will you come back?"

"In a minute. Missed me yet?"

"Always."

"Alright, Big Boss Man," she started a new song.

"Sara!" he threatened her but failed miserably as his voice was full of laughter.

"Okay, it will take another ten or fifteen minutes to get back to you," she informed her impatient husband.

"I'll drink a tea in the Break Room, then."

"Make one for me too, Sexy."

And with that he hung up and placed his cell next to the computer. He quickly checked his mails if he received any news from the Sorbonne University, Paris. He still had almost three weeks until his lectures began. He signed out of his account and went to make two cups of tea. The Break Room was deserted which for he was thankful. The fresheners were ready to drink, or it would be after a few minutes. It was way too hot right now. So he thought he would take advantage of the extra minutes and would visit the most peaceful place in the world.

Grissom entered the rest room that was also empty. No wonder, he thought, men went to toilet not so often that women did, however, ladies' bladders were bigger. What did that mean? The ladies room was nothing but a gossip den.

The smug-faced man did his business and reached for paper but found none. Now, his face lost the smile that had framed his lips seconds earlier. Maybe the men's toilet lacked gossips but it lacked toilet paper just as well.

"No gossip but logic here, ladies!" he hummed as he got out a handkerchief from his pocket.

He was about to exit the booth when the handle did not turn. He tried once and twice, nothing. The lock was dead.

"Oh, no! Dammit!"

Grissom was a peaceful and patient man, so after he had tried to shake the booth into pieces, he sat down on the lavatory pan. Again, he smiled to himself. Logic vs. violence. He reached for his cell but only found its empty place. The grin once again died on his lips. His phone lay next to the computer he had used earlier. He hoped a man soon came in and let him out. It did not hit him that minutes earlier he had been happy that men so rarely visited this place. Howsoever, he sat there daydreaming.

.

_Sara could not help it, she had to laugh.__ He stood there so adorably that she could scream her desire for him. Although, she had promised that she was not going to laugh, it was a laugh of love and affection. This game offered them an attachment they did not even know they were building. It was like some dirty secret only lovers knew; the only difference was that this secret was free of grime._

"_Still love me?" Grissom asked as shyly as a __little child._

"_Elvis, the King," she squealed in her happiness._

"_It's embarrassing, I'm nothing like Elvis or King," he said with red__dened face._

"_Did you know that some of the guys call you the King in the Lab?"_

"_Yeah, but I swear I didn't choose this costume because of that," he __corrected immediately._

"_I know__; it is just so funny. Thank you for doing this. You're amazing."_

"_Do you think I can undress now?__ I look like a gay Santa."_

"_Hell no! Undress…definitely…but later. Now show me your royal__ moves," she was already dancing to the hi-fi set._

"_Don't look for any Elvis __CDs here, so sorry, no dancing…" he said hoping he would get off the shaming dance._

"_No Elvis?"_

"_I'm sorry, Hon, if I had known you wanted me to dance, too, I would have bought an album," he said knowing he got off the hook._

"_You really would have done it for me?"_

_When people knew they could say anything without consequences, a little lie could not hurt, "For you, everything."_

_Grissom did not even realize at first how wrong he was. Sara danced to their laptop and soon, she played Elvis Presley's songs on YouTube.__ Panic vs. Grissom. Panic won. He started to seriously dislike YouTube._

"_I…I'm not sure I know how to dance like him…" he tried but Sara was a __born vixen._

"_Here, lookie here! I also can see him dancing, I will tell you how to do it," she was smiling too sweetly._

_I'll sue that site __tomorrow he thought but said, "You have to teach me, Darling. But one more 'hahahaha' and…"_

_With a very serious expression, Sara turned towards her newly found King and started to __describe the moves that Grissom tried to imitate with a very troublesome facial appearance._

"_Gyrate your hips__ and bend your knees slightly. Yeah, that's it, now move your hips around in a circular motion. Accentuate your movements with timed thrusts, Honey!"_

"_It's ridiculous, Sara!" he complained but continued dancing…or he called it dance._

"_Don't stop, lover," she laughed._

"_I want you to scream it later, too."_

"_Believe me, watching you… moving your legs with your hip movements… is already orgasmic. Now spread your feet apart and move your thighs in together and then apart with your hip thrusts."_

"_Are you still talking about this stupid dance?"_

"_Speak like a King, lover boy! Keep your legs loose so that they move in a flowing motion."_

"_My __perspiration's flowing and not my motion," Grissom cursed below his breath._

"_Want to see my perspiration…flowing? Then be a good boy and dance."_

"_That's blackmail."_

"_Yes, it is."_

_Although, Grissom acted like a __grumbling bear, he eventually burst into laughter with Sara. There was something about being silly, it was fun. He admitted it…only to himself. What he did not know that Sara witnessed the unlimited exhilaration in his every move. That made her truly happy._

"_Incorporate arm movements into your dance, babe, when you feel it's appropriate."_

"_Nothing is appropriate in this dance…babe!"_

"_Hold your arms up and snap your fingers to the beat of the music. Yes! Now swing your arms around in time with the music and your hip and leg movements," Sara said but soon she could not speak anymore. She bent forward; her abdomen hurt from that much laugh. She had to calm down or else, her food threatened them to make an appearance._

_Grissom's discomfort disappeared quickly as he saw his wife having __a great time. Sara's words came back to him: "When I'm in love, really in love, I dare to be playful or even fool in front of my lover." So he was brave as well and showed her how playful he could be on the dance floor and in most intimate places as well._

_After he had performed in their bed more adequately than Elvis could have ever __acted in his life, he went silent. Sara was wonderfully sated but his silence made her worried._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing's wrong."_

"_Tell me, I know something bothers you."_

"_I saw the video you had mentioned…"_

"_What video?"_

"_On YouTube."_

"_I didn't watch any…oh..."_

"_I…I didn't mean to spy or something but…"_

"_Gil, I didn't watch any video, I just told you this because I…I," she was hesitant to bring up that memory._

"_Because? Sara, what are you talking about?"_

"_Greg doesn't have a girlfriend or at least the marks on his neck were not from his human girlfriend if…if he has a girlfriend at all."_

"_I'm not interested in Greg's love life."_

"_Me neither. But when I saw the bite marks on his neck, and everybody teased him about his untamed woman, I…I remembered when I also had thought that your bite marks on your breast had been from a woman, but then it had turned out that they had been from a dog, not from a human."_

"_Our first year anniversary."_

"_Yes, and how scared I was that you got tired of me__."_

_He started to giggle that made Sara sad, "You think it is funny?"_

"_No, no! The situation is funny."_

"_How so?"_

"_I saw the video on YouTube, the one you watched and I also feared that you were going to be tired of me…eventually."_

"_First, that would never happen. Second, as I said I didn't watch any video. Anyway, how could you watch what I had watched? I always delete history."_

"_I was surprised too. But there was a video about Sex Sense. Saying that after five years, the sex will wear off, and then we can only hope that our love will keep us together, about love chemicals and so on."_

"_Sounds interesting, still it wasn't me who watched that. I let __Wendy surf the internet because her computer had died. I guess it is Hodges who should be worried."_

"_Or be happy…"_

"_Gil, I wanna believe that we survived more than to fear things like chemicals. We will trick them, okay?"_

_.  
_

The time went by slowly for the trapped man. He looked at his wristwatch and saw that almost an hour had elapsed already and not a soul had come to the lavatory. Crazy men did not know how unhealthy it was not to pee for hours? He tried the door again but it insisted to stay closed. Grissom was in a good shape but he doubted he could climb up the wall and get out of his trap. What if the paper case broke, he would injure himself. Shouting for help would be just as embarrassing. But sure as hell he would not stay here any longer. His temper was rising considerably. The normally calm and wise Dr. Grissom was ready to smash the rotten booth into smithereens.

Outside of the man-eating rest room, Sara kept calling her husband but she got no answer. She checked the Break Room, Catherine's office, and finally she gave up and went back to work. Ten minutes later, she tried again, only to find his cell buzzing next to the monitor she was sitting close. "Where could he go without his cell?" she was wondering.

Sara saw Greg passing her so called office, so she jumped up and was about to ask him if he had seen Grissom when they had to step aside because Ecklie was practically running to the direction of the toilet.

"When nature calls…" Greg joked but then turned to look at Sara again. "So?"

"Have you seen Grissom?"

"You got out of sight?"

"Funny," she dismissed Greg and went back to work alone.

Meanwhile, Grissom was positioning himself for the big battle. He calculated the angles, the spots and the force he needed to kick the door. He had only one try, it would be even more awkward if he could not kick a door open with a single boot. He checked the handle for the last time but got angrier as it was still stuck. Grissom stepped back and accidentally knocked off the lid of the dustbin. It made a loud noise that unnerved him and made it impossible for him to hear that Ecklie entered the room dangerously approaching his booth. Grissom cursed loud this time and kicked the door with all the utmost of his power. He heard a big bang too but he was happier than to care about an additional bang.

"You fucking idiot," a suffering voice cried.

A chill ran through Grissom's vein when he saw Ecklie was lying on the floor blood oozing from his nose and from a fissure on his forehead.

"Conrad! What are you…"

"Taking a nap, you lunatic!"

Bending down to him, "Are you okay?"

"What's wrong with you? Until now only your wife was dangerous."

"Stay still, I get help!"

Grissom started to worry when Ecklie lost conscious. He ran out of the room and shouted to Judy to call 911. Sara was the first who got to him.

"Where have you been? I…"

"Later, Honey. I've just spent an hour on the toilet and then knocked down Ecklie."

"Are you ill? What happened? Ecklie? Were you arguing?"

"I'll tell you everything later, okay?"

By the time the paramedics arrived, most of the immediate lab workers had gathered at the entrance of the room where the misfortunate undersheriff was lying unconscious.

The ambulance men checked his vitals and found that he was okay in spite of the hit. They took him onto a stretcher to take him to Desert Palm for further examination. Ecklie made a slight move.

"Sir, can you hear me?"

Ecklie was only moaning. When he opened his eyes, a familiar pair of eyes looked at him.

"Hello Sweetheart," the paramedic greeted him. The one Ecklie had met in the restaurant earlier under misapprehension.

"Oh, no!" he muttered and closed his eyes swearing at Grissom.


	15. Consequences

**A/N**: I'm sorry this chapter took me so long :-) Life and my other WIP baby kept me from writing this one and made me feel a little schizophrenic as the genres of 'Pattern' and 'Pride and Prejudice' are so very different. ;-) But I hope you will enjoy this chapter just as well.

**

* * *

Chapter ****Fifteen**

"Sir, can you hear me?"

Ecklie was only moaning. When he opened his eyes, a familiar pair of eyes looked down at him.

"Hello Sweetheart," the paramedic greeted him. The one Ecklie had met in the restaurant earlier under misapprehension.

"Oh, no!" he muttered and closed his eyes swearing at Grissom.

"So you two know each other?" Grissom asked the young man.

"Yes, Sir."

"Then I guess there is no need for anyone of us to go with him."

"Sidle, please come with me…" the poor devil begged. Even her company seemed way better than this eager young guy's.

At his selection of words, the little crowd around Ecklie started to giggle. Everybody was enjoying the sight except Sara and Grissom. There was nothing remotely funny in this situation, but it was Ecklie lying on that stretcher after all, and everybody in the Lab had dreamed about hitting him at least once in their lives. And considering it was Grissom who had been brave enough to do so, it made him a hero immediately.

Sara was surprised by the request, "You want me to go with you? Me?"

"I can go," Grissom offered and stepped closer to the stretcher.

"No, noo! Stay away from me Grissom!" the sudden nervousness was detectable in his voice.

"I said I was sorry…"

Ecklie grabbed the sleeve of the EMT's coat and started to panic again, "Don't let him touch me! He is insane, he is…awwwwwwwww."

"What did you do to him?" Sara asked her worried husband.

"Nothing, it was an accident."

"It wasn't," Ecklie barked. "Just wait until I come back, it won't be…"

All of a sudden, all of his raging energy left the wriggling man. Ecklie touched his temple and turned dead pale.

"We gotta go gentlemen; you can discuss your differences later."

This time, Ecklie had no objections as his vision went black. Hurriedly, the paramedics wheeled the unconscious and injured bald-headed man out of the building leaving a silent bunch of people behind.

"Well, leaving without saying goodbye is just as rude as saying goodbye without leaving," Grissom broke the heavy stillness.

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

"I'm so excited," Paula said to Hugo.

"Yeah, I felt that," Hugo smirked at her.

"No, really. We're almost done with this whole business."

"Almost, so we have to be very careful. This is our last destination, and then we are done."

"Do you think the police is after us?"

"We didn't do anything illegal, so? But who knows. Those stupid neighbors could be a problem."

"Do you trust you friends? Really trust them?"

"Don't worry, everybody knows the rules and we all play by the book."

"I'm so so excited. I have never been in Providence."

"Rhode Island is a beautiful place. The most beautiful of all states if you ask me."

"Then speed up, Love."

"I won't risk that we might be pulled over. No. Patience, Paula. Only a week and we are rich!"

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

After Ecklie had been taken to hospital, the hallway in the CSI Lab got soon deserted. Some of the laboratory technicians just nodded at Grissom, some smiled at him making it clear how much they adored what he had done, and only a few people dared to congratulate him openly. Grissom tried to explain that it had been only an unfortunate accident but no one seemed to be listening. He had to live with the heavy burden of being the hero of the Lab. He felt guilty. Grissom had never been an aggressive man, so why did everybody appreciate the very possibility of him being violent to anybody? Or it had nothing to do with him but Ecklie?

"Will you tell me why you two argued?" Sara asked later when they were alone in a room.

"We did not, I already told everybody."

"What did Ecklie say to you?"

Losing patience he said, "Sara, why isn't the truth good enough for you?"

"Because it doesn't sound believable. Why were you in the rest room so long?"

"As I said, the door stuck and then I spent my time there daydreaming…" Not receiving any reaction, he groaned. "Not that kind of a fantasizing, Sara. Why can't you be serious?"

"You know, I'd have loved a more romantic explanation. Like you turned into a bear and punched him because he was an ass and was insulting me. Something like that."

"Sorry, Sara, you have to settle for this boring muddler who only got trapped into a stall."

"Oh, no, you are not that. I can only see a hero who can get the best out of everything. Just tell me, did you enjoy hitting Ecklie?"

Grissom made his best to mask his 'I am slightly annoyed' expression so he quickly changed the topic. They got nowhere with this irritating case. It seemed that Paula and Hugo were just playing with them. They were always one step ahead of the police. And Grissom could not figure out their pattern of thinking. Sara was also frustrated because she did not see the connection between the locations, either. Neither Grissom nor Sara could come up with a good theory that might explain their motives at all.

Before the "not-really-a-box-match-but-an-accident-however-no one-will-ever-believe-it" between Grissom and the good Ecklie, Sara had had an idea or at least something had caught her attention. They decided to investigate that lead. Grissom wanted to pull out his phone to call Brass but only found its empty place instead.

"I'm looking for…"

"A screw?" she grinned waiting for him if he remembered.

Smiling widely he answered, "This time, my phone. So do you know by now who killed that little boy in 'Turn of the Screw'?"

"I no longer believe in ghosts, I buried all, so it had to be the governess."

"We…um…we should call Brass…"

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

They were looking into each other's eyes for a long-long moment but the intimate spell was interrupted rudely by a phone buzzing somewhere. They were shaken back to reality and both hunted the unwelcomed intruder.

Finding it next to a monitor, Grissom grinned, "My phone!"

"Won't you answer it?"

"Paint the devil…" he winked at Sara and then pushed the answer button. "Grissom."

"Hello Bruce Lee. No wonder you never brought your gun with you."

"It was an accident. And how do you know about what happened this soon?"

"Oh, Sensei, everybody knows about it."

"And you called me why?"

"You could teach me karate."

"Bye Brass," Grissom said dismissively and hung up.

"Hey, now we have to call him back," Sara complained.

"Even Brass thinks that I hit Ecklie on purpose."

"Be proud of it and call him back!"

"No."

"He was just kidding, call him back!"

Sighing, he dialed Brass' number, "It's Grissom."

"You changed your mind?"

"No, but we have something for you to investigate."

Grissom slowly and clearly explained their suspicion to Brass. It was abnormal that in every case, it was always the neighbor or a passer-by who called the police. In some cases, the victims had not even wanted to fill the police forms. At first, it had seemed irrelevant but now, after so many occasions, it had to be significant. Brass and Grissom agreed that interviewing those people once more should help to understand Paula and Hugo's motives better. After hanging up, Brass immediately called the local Police Departments in Iwilei, Bicknell, Albany and finally in Saraland. The couple that had been robbed in Vegas would be brought in later that day.

Satisfied with the development of the case, Sara and Grissom were ready to call it a day and go home. On their way through the hallway, Grissom received many praiseful looks but he ignored them all. He just wanted to leave and be with Sara in peace.

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

"Mr. Ecklie, I understand you'd rather leave but I'd like to suggest that you stay for a few more hours. You are not strong enough to stay on your own."

"I'm perfectly alright. And you said I have no concussion, so I can't see any reason to stay here."

"Sir, you mixed up the days and confused some facts, it still makes me worried."

"And you said that a good sleep will solve this little problem."

"Not so little but alright, Mr. Ecklie, I can't force you to stay, but you have to know that I don't agree with you. You can leave on your own responsibility. One condition, though."

"Yes?"

"One of our paramedic takes you home."

"I'll take a cap instead. Thank you, doctor."

"If later you still feel dizzy or you feel unsure, you have to come back. I want to be clear, Sir. Without sleeping this trauma out properly, it can lead to more serious consequences. Take my advice, and don't go to work for a few days. Two or three days, minimum."

"Alright. Thank you."

The ER physician had not been happy when Ecklie had decided to recuperate at home. And the fact that the undersheriff was still confused a little when he left worried the doctor dearly. But this patient was adult and no one wanted to be on the shit list of an undersheriff, so the physician released him.

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

It seemed that the next shift would start sooner than Grissom and Sara would have appreciated. Brass had woken them up by ringing Grissom's cell and had told the couple that the 'Hugo-Paula' victims would be waiting for them in the interview room at the Police Department in two hours. It was the second time that Brass had rung him and Grissom had had to leave his beautiful woman in their bed alone. However, this time Sara was going to join him.

.

"_These two kids have only been missing for fourteen hours. They could have eloped to Mexico," Grissom complained to the phone._

"_I know it's a favor but…"_

"_All right. But you owe me for getting me out of bed on a Saturday morning," and with this, he hung up and went to meet up with Officer Mitchell._

.

"I swear that Jim did it on purpose," Grissom murmured into Sara's neck.

"Baby, he's just doing his job."

"No."

"Why would he do such a thing? He was always loyal to us."

"Really? It's Saturday again, and we have to leave bed earlier again. Why? Because Jim called."

"But it's not morning, love."

"Jim's aging, his pattern of tricks got a little worn-out."

"You've got to kidding me. Jim woke us twice in…um…what?...in eleven years? Gosh! He is a rotten scuzzbag," she laughed. "And just for the record, the first time, he didn't even wake us…if I remember correctly."

.

_It had been a hard week for the whole team, so Sara and Grissom w__ere grateful to be home. The fact that the miniature killer was still alive and ready to kill again had shaken all members of the CSI team. Even though the couple's minds were exhausted their bodies were longing. This time their lovemaking was not about sex but rather about the feeling of existence. Evidence that confirmed that they were alive and their kisses promised faith and trust. Every touch proved life in their bodies. That day the intimacy lacked the usual playfulness. Both were silent, both kept their eyes closed. Only their senses played the game. Eyes often fooled the mind, but the sense of smell, the sense of taste and the sense of feeling would never deceive the heart._

_Time slowed __down as they unhurriedly moved closer, their lips looking for an end to all the pain and horror they had witnessed at work. Grissom watched her eyes closed as he descended on her, their souls blended with each other. Every passing minute brought them closer until his lips grazed hers almost tentatively to ease the longing and their tender touches left them vulnerable to each other. No matter how long they had been together, this kind of declaration of love always felt like the first time. He pressed closer to her body; his lips became more and more demanding so Sara whimpered softly when she felt his tongue poking her bottom lip knocking for entry. Sara's hand slid up his chest to his soft locks as she opened her mouth to him giving him all she possessed. He moved as close as he could without crushing her, his kisses turned into despair as he held her against his big body. He needed to feel every inch of her to prove to himself that she was not an illusion or a false fantasy of his deceptive mind, but when she pulled his head down forcefully to meet her kisses, he knew he was lost in her forever. Grissom pulled back a little to gaze down at her. Her untamed hair was tousled and her lips were swollen from long minutes of kissing; and at this precise moment he felt that he had never loved her more than he did right now. Letting out a dreamy sigh, Sara looked up into his deep blue eyes to seek the safety she so desperately looked for and he never let her down. Sara was drowning in him as she gave in to her throbbing desire. They started moving as one, joined in intimacy, and when she moaned his name upon her release, his body soon followed her. But suddenly, a sharp pain distorted Grissom's childish face._

"_Aww, oh m__y God!" Grissom cried out in pain._

"_What happened?"_

"_God, don't move!"_

_Grissom stayed perfectly still. He felt cramps in his waist and shooting pain down his legs. It had happened before but definitely not during lovemaking. The whole situation embarrassed him but worried Sara. They had read on the internet that if the crams happened during or immediately after physical activity, they should stop what they were doing for a while. Grissom looked at Sara soundlessly communicating that he was not about to stop THIS activity._

"_Do you take that magnesium tablet every day?"_

"_Yes. But I guess today I'm more tired than I thought I was."_

"_Did you drink enough?"_

"_I drank the sight of you, Honey."_

"_Very funny," Sara tried to get out from under her lover but at the first try, Grissom groaned his objection._

"_Ahh…please, __just give me a minute, please don't move."_

"_Want me to massage your muscles? It could help."_

"_It's embarrassing enough, Sara. Just give me a moment."_

"_Embarrassing how? __You are in pain; I love you so I will do anything to alleviate your pain."_

"_Normally, I'd love your hands on me…__massaging…aww…the musc…aww…but this situation is not I'd wish to any man."_

"_Oh," she grinned at him. "Cut the shit short, Lover. You don't have to be a macho for me.__"_

_Grissom__'s face turned deep crimson. They were still intimately connected and he could not move an inch. He thought he would die of shame and Sara's eagerness to help did not help matter. His pride was in pieces._

_Sara reached behind him and started to knead the stiff muscles. __He felt his aching muscle of his waist slowly easing as she skillfully massaged his pain away. He groaned in ecstasy as her soft but determined fingers worked their magic on his back, just as they had always done in the past when he had had a migraine._

"_God Sara," he sighed, "you are so good at this."_

"_I thought you didn't have these any more," she said softly, enjoying __the feel of his skin above hers and that his pain was passing._

_After a few more minutes of this treatment, Grissom started to feel better and finally he could move.__ He slowly moved off Sara and lay next to her._

"_Well, this wasn'__t the best post-coital chat…ever," he said still hating what had happened._

"_Seriously, why do men have to be always the stronger?"_

"_Because."_

"_This is not an answer. Tell me."_

"_Ask Darwin."_

"_Ridiculous!__ Do you know his phone number?"_

"_Only his last known address. See? You think I'm ridiculous."_

"_No, I think you're the sweetest man in the world but this macho thingie just doesn't work for me. I love you; you don't have to be the best specimen of Darwin. If I had been in pain, you would have done the same, right? So?"_

_Before Grissom could have continued his explanation, his cell phone went off. He ever slowly reached for the device and looked who the caller was._

"_Grissom," he growled into the phone making Sara snicker._

"_Morning, Gil," Brass greeted him._

.

After taking a stroll down memory lane and recalling the hours of their secret and stolen intimacy, the CSIs rushed to the LVPD to question the people who were sure waiting for them by now. Grissom opened the car door to Sara and held her hand a little longer than necessary. Sara loved these private messages. Even though they were married for more than a year, they preferred their life kept private. One last warm glance at each other, they headed to the entrance of the building.

Neither of them noticed the unbalanced tall man who stopped walking when he looked at the couple. Ecklie's head hurt like hell but he remembered that he was a very important person at LVPD. He was the undersheriff after all. He remembered that Grissom had hit him in the head but he was unsure of the reason. He lived for the revenge on this man. And Sidle. He never liked her. So finally, Ecklie believed that he got the evidence against them. They were a couple for sure, he had always suspected it, and a relationship between a supervisor and a subordinate was – if he recalled correctly – against the department policy. _Maybe, if you had confided in me, maybe I would have given quarter but no, you two wanted a secret relationship_.

"Muahahahaha, finally, my dear supervisor. I caught you, you and your cute protégé. Your career is so over. Sidle's never started anyway. Oh, I'm so sorry," Ecklie laughed evilly like an old lawn sprinkler.

**TBC**

**

* * *

**

_**Author's Postscript:**_Well, Ecklie really hit his head hard and got lost somewhere in the past :-) Grissom and Sara finally are getting closer to Hugo and Paula. However, they don't suspect that it will be Ecklie who helps them the most to have a chance to nail the tricky couple.


	16. The Key

**Chapter ****Sixteen**

Neither Sara nor Grissom noticed the unbalanced tall man who stopped walking when he looked at them. Ecklie's head hurt like hell but he remembered that he was a very important person at LVPD. He remembered that Grissom had hit him in the head but he was unsure of the reason. Conrad Ecklie was yearned to take revenge on this man. And Sidle. He never liked her. So finally, Ecklie believed that he got the evidence against them. They were a couple for sure, he had always suspected it, and a relationship between a supervisor and a subordinate was – if he recalled it correctly – against the department policy. _Maybe, if you had confided in me, maybe I would have given quarter but no, you two wanted a secret relationship_.

"Muahahahaha, finally, my dear friend. I caught you, you and your cute protégé. Your career is so over. Sidle's never started anyway. Oh, I'm so sorry," Ecklie laughed evilly like an old lawn sprinkler.

"Hello Conrad! I see you're feeling better," Catherine told him as she was about to get by him.

Ecklie turned to look at the blonde woman in front of him. Her name was on his tongue but somehow, it did not get through his lips. With slightly shaking hands, Ecklie rubbed his temple but it helped nothing.

"Did you enjoy the ride with the paramedic? Again…" Catherine could not resist the temptation to tease this poor Undersheriff with the young guy.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry, I promised to keep a low profile…"

"To keep…what? What date? I haven't been on a date for ages," he complained.

Catherine was taken back a little. Was Ecklie pulling her leg? Or he was really this confused? She had to know. Everybody heard about what had happened to Ecklie in the Lab and Catherine could hardly wait to shake hands with Grissom. What a revenge on this rude dude for treating her so low the day Sara had come back. And if he really hit his head that hard and now he could not remember certain things…like her sharing confidential information in a damned restaurant about how she had learned to kiss, Catherine would be more than happy. Plus, if he really did not remember that embarrassing situation, so Catherine was safe, it also meant that she, at the same time, still held possession of a juicy story about him.

.

_Ecklie was practically running out of the restaurant when he banged into the also leaving Catherine. Both looked at each other with surprised expression on their faces. He knew that the worst part of his turmoil was just going to happen._

_"Sweetheart," called the paramedic after him. "If you changed the team you are playing in, keep my number!"_

_Watching the guy leaving, Catherine's eyes could not get any larger, "Sweetheart?"_

_"It's not what you think it is."_

_"Yeah, I can see that!" she grinned at him._

_"Come on, I had a wife."_

_"Had."_

_"Do not construct theories, Catherine. He thought that I am some one else from the Lab."_

_"It's still very funny, don't you think?" she was now openly enjoying the situation._

_"Look Catherine, I expect discretion. Here, you can act like a child but in my Lab, I will not take any of your gossiping."_

_"Really? And just how discreet you were when you informed me about the evaluation that Riley Adams had given you? Anybody could hear you shouting that I'm a horrible supervisor. You didn't even want to listen to my version. So don't expect me to be more discreet than you were."_

_"The difference is that this case is an unfortunate misunderstanding, and that was fact!"_

_"The fact is that I saw you dating a man. Period!"_

_"But I'm not gay. Don't ignore this little fact, you know me!"_

_"But I am a good supervisor and you ignored this little fact, however, you also know me!"_

_Feeling Catherine's rage, Ecklie tried another escape out of this ridiculous situation, "You keep your big mouth shut, I also will keep mine closed."_

_"What? I have nothing to hide."_

_"Really? Just think about it."_

.

The blonde supervisor was grinning widely at the memory. Now – after Brass' call – that encounter with Ecklie did not seem so frustrating. On the contrary, it became extremely funny…for her. When Brass had called Catherine earlier informing her about what had happened to their beloved Undersheriff and that he had been called 'sweetheart', Catherine had realized immediately that the first "sweetheart" and the second "sweetheart" had had to come from the same guy. She just wished she had been there to see Ecklie's face.

"Oh, Conrad, I was there where you dated that…what's his name?"

"That Joe…umm…don't know but I'm sure it had to be a mistake?"

"A mistake…everybody says that after a date went wrong. See? You know what I'm talking about," Catherine was still unsure of how much Ecklie remembered but it was clear that Ecklie was just as uncertain as she was. _A little game could not hurt_, Catherine thought. Either he would not remember what was said now or she would deny everything.

"Look, Conrad. I promised you not to tell anyone. I respect your privacy."

"My privacy?" he rubbed his temple again.

"Headache? A bad one?"

"I feel my head's gonna blow up."

"You should lie down, it always helped Grissom."

"Grissommm…" once again, an evil grin formed out of his lips.

Catherine did not like his expression but could not place it anywhere, so she decided that it had to be his headache that distorted his face.

"I better go Conrad. You should be at home and relax. Didn't your friend tell you so?"

"I hate when you do this…umm…umm…" he was clicking with his fingers indicating he was trying to find her name in his memory.

Before she could have answered, her cell phone went off; turning away from Ecklie a little she answered the phone, "Catherine Willows! Yes, I'm in the parking lot….Yes, will be there in a minute….Thanks, Jim!"

By the time Catherine hung up, the terrified and even more perplexed Conrad Ecklie had already left her alone. Catherine could only catch a glimpse of his back disappearing after he had closed the entrance door of the Lab.

* * *

GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR

* * *

Through the glass of the Observation room, Sara and Grissom were watching the couple for a few minutes who were waiting for them in the Interview room. They looked ordinary. The man looked older than his wife, not that it would have suggested anything.

"We should go," Sara said to her husband.

Grissom only nodded and soon, the couple was questioning the other couple.

"Mr. and Mrs. MacEntaggart?" Sara asked.

"Yes," the man answered.

"I'm Sara Sidle and this is Gil Grissom. Thanks for coming."

"We had to," the young woman said with an odd accent.

Grissom concentrated hard on the way these people were speaking.

"Can you recall that night when your house was robbed, please?"

"We've already told everything we know. And I don't get it why it is so important to you. Aren't there any killers dangerous enough to chase?" Same accent again.

"How come to catch these people who broke into _your_ home is more important to _us_ than to you?"

"If we don't care about it anymore, why do you?"

"Because it happened several times all over the country," Grissom added.

The woman eyes were shining with newly-born interest, "How many times?"

Grissom and Sara exchanged glances. These people got interested all of a sudden, still, they did not seem to be willing to cooperate. They clearly held back something.

"If there is nothing more, we'd like to leave."

"Where were you when the robbery happened?" Grissom could not let them go just yet.

"As we already told the cops that night, we were at a concert and before you'd ask, yes, we could show our tickets."

"You have nothing, huh?" the woman started to giggle.

"What is so funny, Mrs. MacEntegart?" Sara asked. She had to admit that these people irritated her.

"That the famous Vegas cops can't nail this couple…" but at her husband's kick under the table, she went silent.

"How do you know it is a couple?"

"I…I wanted to say a couple of criminals."

"How do you know we are talking about criminals…plural?"

"Ms. Saidle said that 'these':"

"Sidle," Sara corrected the woman.

"Yeah, I know. But I didn't correct you when you enunciated mine wrongly."

"Mrs. MacEntaggart," Grissom pronounced it almost perfectly.

"Very good, Mr. Grissom," the gentleman said with delight in his voice.

"Is it a Scottish name?"

With some pride in her stance, the lady said, "Nope, we are Irish."

The young Irish lady was rewarded by another small kick. Both Sara and Grissom noticed the interaction.

"Can we leave now?"

"Yes."

Something was definitely not right, Grissom and Sara knew that but there was nothing they could have kept them here for.

* * *

GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR

* * *

While the MacEntaggarts were interrogated, Ecklie was sitting in his office. It had been a challenge to find his office. His own office. The building had been familiar but some details had seemed new to him. Everybody had greeted him, no wonder; he was an important person. Ecklie had recognized Hodges immediately and after he had walked Ecklie to an office that seemed to be his, the poor guy had gone inside and closed the door leaving Hodges outside.

He could not get rid of the nagging idea that Catherine had planted into his head. He was mortified by the idea that he had dated a man. _It can't be_, he begged. He had never attracted to guys, so why? And Willows was not a person who would lie. He still had to think about her first name closely but one thing he was sure of was that Willows was a responsible CSI. Ecklie decided to take another painkiller to alleviate the throbbing pain in his skull that did not want to ease up.

He tried to think about different guys to see if he felt anything.

_That Joe something. No! Nick, double no! Hodges, hell no! Grissom. Damn Grissom, he has to suffer for what he has done! Grissom!_

Ecklie was agitated. He was sure that he was not gay. Only Grissom woke some feelings in him. But those emotions were not pleasant, not at all. Sometimes, Ecklie hated him, so it could not be attraction. He wanted some air. He cursed at Willows.

The Undersheriff in panic was walking through the hallway, when he saw Brass approaching. Ecklie got even more agitated when he realized that he seemed to remember all of the male colleagues' names. Only of the males. While he had to think hard to recall Willows' first name. He knew the brain had its own filters but what kinda information these filtered and why, he did not know. Or he feared to know.

"I hate women!" he said it out loud without thinking.

"Well, it's too bad because there are lots of beautiful women in here," Brass told him.

"I didn't mean it that way."

"Of course you didn't," he smiled. "Anyway, are you really up to work today? Ain't it too early?"

"It's never too early to make Grissom pay for what he's done!"

And with that, Ecklie walked away. God but that Grissom irritated him, Ecklie could not explain why but it was the truth.

And that Sidle! She was not going to build a nest with Grissom in his Lab! They could not deny their relationship anymore. Hunger for blood, their blood, he went to find the couple.

On his way to the interrogation room where the love-birds were supposed to be found, Ecklie heard Hodges and Wendy talking.

"I hate it…," Wendy complained to Hodges.

"You know, love and hate are walking hand in hand. So when you say you hate me I know you mean just the very opposite."

"Then I have to love you so much because you make me so angry every time you do this."

Ecklie did not even want to know what Hodges had done to anger Wendy. He also had the same feeling toward Grissom. He angered the Undersheriff no matter what he did or not did.

.

"_Oh, Conrad, I was there where you dated that…what's his name?"_

"_That Joe…umm…don't know but I'm sure it had to be a mistake?"_

"_A mistake…See? You know what I'm talking about. Look, Conrad. I promised you not to tell anyone. I respect your privacy."_

.

Maybe he did not hate Grissom after all? Every sign pointed to this in his cloudy mind. Ecklie rushed back to his office. He sat down at his desk and just stared into space.

Catherine and Hodges' words were repeated again and again in his head. Maybe he had been angry at Sara over the years because of Grissom? Damn, Sara…she had become Grissom's woman. It annoyed Ecklie now even more. No wonder he remembered her name. Had his choice to order Nick and Warrick under Willows' supervision been unconscious to keep men away from Grissom?

"Oh my lord, I am too clever to figure it out by myself," he mused.

Even though he started to grin at his own brilliance, the discovery did not make him feel good. That was what he found strange. Perhaps, he had to see Grissom in person. Somehow, he became nervous.

* * *

GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR GSR ~ * ~ GSR

* * *

"I can't believe these people! We're trying to find Hugo and Paula, and these MacEntaggarts only laughed into our faces!"

"You are too hard on yourself. Don't be mad, love!" Sara purred.

"No-no, I'm not mad at me or us. There is that goddamn couple somewhere in the States and the MacEntaggarts know where they are or who they are."

"We can't prove it."

"Excatly!"

"Here," Sara offered him a bar of chocolate.

"My pulse is okay."

"Still, it improves your mood."

Hesitantly, Grissom accepted and then started to eat the candy. Sara had to smile at his childish expression. She noticed that a tiny drop of caramel remained on the left side of his lower lip. Without thinking, Sara stepped to her man and licked off the sweet beige confection.

"I…I believe that there is more here," he pointed to the right side of his upper lip. Sara kissed that part clean too.

"You should check…" but he never got to end his sentence as Sara's lips stole every word he intended to say.

"Now, my pulse got to 100 this time."

"Miiiister. it is so inappropriate," Sara giggled.

"It is!"

Ecklie had to agree with them, it was inappropriate. And they seemed so comfortable with each other. How shamelessly they were kissing, Ecklie could not believe his eyes.

"Sidle," he shouted. "Get in my office, now!"

"Conrad!" Grissom stood next to Sara demanding explanation.

"Gil," Ecklie's voice softened immediately. "You look good."

Horror and confusion were mirroring on both Sara and Grissom's faces. What was going on?

"Excuse me?"

"Sara, I said get into my office."

Ecklie then smiled at Grissom scanning his body from head to toe. Yes, he had beautiful butts; his face was like of a child. Ecklie's eyes were shining.

"Look, Conrad, I think those times when you could treat Sara this way…"

"Gil, Gil, calm down," he got irritated by him again. Why should he be like this? Sara Sidle had changed him. Why could he not see that?

"Sara can go to your office but only with me."

"Alright, five minutes. Don't be late!"

With a last look at Grissom amorously maybe flirtatiously or rather impertinently, Ecklie left the room.

"If I didn't know better, I would say he…umm…fascinated by you!"

"Sara!"

"Don't tell you didn't notice!"

"It's crazy, Honey. But sure that something is up."

"That's what I noticed too. Something was defo _up_…"

"Stop it!"

"Then we better go to see what it is all about. Be nice okay? Remember, _you_ hit him!"

"The _door_ hit him, I was just on the other side of the door and by the way, I'm always nice," Grissom said to Sara.

Within the given five minutes, Sara and Grissom appeared in the doorway and knocked slightly on the door to get Ecklie's attention. He looked up and motioned them inside as he stood up to meet them.

"Have a seat."

He looked sternly at Sara but smiled at Grissom.

"Okay…um…Look, I don't want to play any games here. This is as difficult for me as it is for you."

"What are you talking about, Conrad?" Grissom was losing patience quickly. "Look, I know you must think I did it on purpose, but I can assure you it was an accident. And Sara has nothing to do with my fault."

Ecklie smiled at him again. So their relationship was an accident. Awesome! So bye-bye Sara Sidle, he was amused by the direction of their chat.

"Ok, let's…um...just get this over with, shall we?"

"Over with what?"

"You, Sara and your supervisor were in a direct violation of the lab…"

"I think I already heard this once, don't you think? We didn't do anything this time that might be a direct…look, as Gil said it was an accident and we both are sorry for it."

"I'm glad to hear it was an accident, I always thought it was but it doesn't change the fact that I have to fire you Sara."

"What? Why?"

"Should I explain it to you?"

"Sara does you a favor, same here and you wanna fire her?"

"To fire me?" Sara was more than shocked. She did not get what was going on.

"Yep, the Lab policy, my Lab policy states that members of the same forensic team may not engage in a romantic relationship. So that's why. I saw you two hugging in the lot, kissing in the laboratory…"

"But we are marr…"

"Sara! The rules are clear."

"Just how hard did you hit your head?" Grissom asked.

"It hurts like hell but I will live, thanks for asking Gil."

"What did the doctors tell you in the hospital?"

"Your concern is moving, Gil. But I'm fine."

"I don't think so," Sara added.

"My decision is final, Sidle."

"Final?"

Looking deep into Grissom's eyes, he started to say, "Yep, final. You know **F** as in fabulous, **I** as in intensive, **N** as in naïve, **A** as in amazing and **L**…as in…love. Now just read together the letters and you will get it."

"That's it, yes! Conrad, that's it!" Grissom shouted making both Sara and Ecklie surprised.

"Gil," Sara looked at him.

"Sara, this is the key we were looking for."

"What are you two talking about?"

Grissom jumped up from his seat and pulled Sara up with him as well. Sara tried to understand his excitement but Ecklie's unexpected insanity had confused her more to focus on anything else.

Grissom was walking toward the entrance dragging his wife after him but then he suddenly stopped making Sara dump into his back. He stepped to Ecklie with a speed that even the crazy man went into defensive mode holding his arms in front of his face.

"Perhaps, you helped us to solve our case. Thank you! And I suggest that you should go back to your physician, though."

Touched by his worry again, "Oh, thanks Gil."

Shivering at the insinuation of his words, "And soon."

"Oh, and Sara, we are not finished."

"Conrad, we are married for a year now. See that doctor," Grissom said.

"Married? Married?"

"Yep, you know **M** as in marvelous, **A** as in arms, **R** as in rub, **R** as in roughly, **I** as in initiating, **E** as in ecstasy and **D** as in dammit!" Sara told him angrily from the doorway.

**TBC**

_**

* * *

Author's Postscript: **_Well, sweet readers, only a few chapters left :-(I think Cath once again created chaos, or was it Ecklie? :-)


	17. Cinderella

**Chapter ****Seventeen**

"Married? Married?" Ecklie stammered.

"Yep, you know **M** as in marvelous, **A** as in arms, **R** as in rub, **R** as in roughly, **I** as in initiating, **E** as in ecstasy and **D** as in dammit!" Sara told him angrily from the doorway.

With Grissom's arm around her, Sara walked out the hallway and turned the corner out of Ecklie's view. The man left behind was shocked by the new information.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked. He was so confused. How could Grissom and Sara be married? Just when had they got married without him knowing about it? Ecklie certainly had not expected them to invite him to their wedding but still it hurt. And just why did it hurt at all? Or was it his head not his heart? Something was seriously not right, he could sense that.

This poor man decided to go home instead of staying here in the Lab where everything seemed so vague. _Maybe a good sleep will help_, he thought. So within thirty minutes, he was heading toward his office's door when he heard some loud noise coming from the other end of the hallway. Ecklie had always found this building wonderfully mysterious. The ex-Lab Director had loved the walls all made of stained-glass, this construction had given him the perfect opportunity to observe everything and everybody in the Lab. It had given him the false feeling of being everywhere. But now, as he looked up to the ceiling, the lights were flicking as he passed by. Ecklie flinched as the intruding lights made his head hurt terribly. Covering his eyes with one of his hands and his ear with the other excluding as much noise and light as he could, Ecklie rushed out of the building.

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

The weather was quite cool for this hour of the day. The sun had risen in a hurry, as if trying to make up for setting so early the nigh before. It was 65 F and felt almost zero humidity which was odd considering where the couple was. There was a naughty breeze cold and fluid playing with her dark brown hair, the occasional gust of wind brought a bit of chill. The sun was warm though, and when the wind stopped for a second, Paula could feel its caressing rays on her skin providing that sweet warm sensation.

Hugo and Paula were walking along the bank of the Providence River hand in hand adoring the wonderfully clean water. Why were the rivers in Europe so dirty? Probably Europeans had more time to pollute their streams. But this one, with arrogant disregard for the overused metaphor, was brilliantly glossy with the sparkle of thousand diamonds.

"I really could live here," Paula daydreamed loudly.

"Maybe we'll come back…sometimes."

"I can't believe we got this far. Do you think we can make it to the end?"

"We have to. So far so good."

"Are you really this calm?"

"No, not at all. But I won't let this go wrong now. By tonight, we will have been a one-day-old rich."

"Do you think they are waiting for us? Do you think they know we are coming?"

"All of them were waiting for us, honey, and see; we are still here, at the door of fortune."

"Let's go to visit the Gallery Z before we have to leave this city," Paula said with sadness evident in her voice.

"Oh, please, sweetheart! I don't want to see any more paintings. No more arts, please."

"How about the Culinary Arts Museum?"

"Hmm…sounds much better."

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

No word could describe Grissom's excitement as he was dragging Sara through the hallway to their respective office. For a few more seconds, he tried to regain his composure before he could look at her with joy in his eyes. Sara knew something had to be up, so she faked patience but in reality, she was dying to know how Ecklie had helped their investigation.

After giving him almost a full minute, Sara said, "So?"

"Paper, pen, locations!"

"Huh?"

"The names hold the answer we were looking for!"

"Oookay…"

"So, the scenes where Paula and Hugo showed up…um…moment, let's see," Grissom could hardly breathe. He once again felt the same tingle that he used to felt when he had been a CSI.

"Iwilei, Hawaii, and then Bicknell, Utah, the next one is Vegas, Nevada then Albany, Georgia, and the last one is Saraland, Alabama," Sara helped him out.

"So, as Ecklie suggested…"

"Not suggested, he was just a simple jerk," Sara fumed.

"You will like him more if you see what it is about."

"I doubt it but I trust you."

"Okay, look at the cities and their letters they start with."

"Right."

"It has to be a message, or a key to Hugo and his wife."

"She has a name, Gil."

"Please, don't start it now. It has nothing to do with sexism."

"Then call them Hugo AND Paula. No one has a first name 'wife'."

"Finished?"

"No actually. Sorry. So where were we?"

"So **I**wilei, **B**icknell, **V**egas, **A**lbany, **S**araland. The last one is the best…"

"Sure it is…but later, Gil."

"Read together the letters: IBVAS"

"Makes no sense to me…"

"Wait, we don't know if they finished their job or not, perhaps there are more letters."

"True. Then browse words start with IBVAS."

Sara typed 'ibvas' into the search box then hit the button 'Search'. Nothing useful. Grissom suggested that they should try the characters as puzzle pieces and play Logos.

"No Logos!"

"This is different now, honey!"

"And how? You and your friend, Robbins again will say that "S" was the cause of death…or in this case the cause of trouble?"

"You took that personally, my dear."

"Yeah? You think?"

.

_Robbins and David Phillips worked on the body of Adam Brenner who had died at a Logos Tournament. __Doc Robbins cut the trachea open and found a Logos piece: "S". The two coronels looked at each other then Robbins let out a 'hmmm'._

_Later, he went to find Grissom to report him what he had found out. Surprised, Grissom held up the Logos piece._

"_An "S"?"_

"_Cause of death."_

"_Yeah, mine too."_

"_What did you say?"_

"_I asked where you found it."_

"_Uh-hum. Yeah. I found it in the trachea."_

_For the next ten or fifteen minutes, Grissom tried to understand that big man's death but got not so very far. They agree__d on that no one swallowed six of Logos tiles by accident._

_Having nothing else to discuss, Robbins left __Grissom's dark office with a naughty smirk on his face._

"_Whoa, __good news, Doc?" Sara asked just as he was about to pass her._

"_I don't know about good news but Grissom is in a funny mood."_

"_Really? What did he say?"_

"_Nothing important, that's what made me smile. He just murmured it under his breath."_

"_Humor me!"_

"_Your victim died because he had chocked on a Logos tile. It was an "S"."_

"_Wow, and?"_

"_And Gil said his own cause of death will also be an "S"," he laughed._

"_Oh."_

_._

"Honey, I explained it to you later," Grissom said.

"Yeah, you did…a year later!"

.

_Grissom drove __to Sara's angrily. He could not explain why he was angry at Sara. She had not done anything wrong. She was the victim after all. It had been him who had left her alone in that nurse's station. It had been him who had thought that they were untouchable._

_He was unsure if it had been anybody else, he would have reacted that way. He had been scared for the woman in Adam Trent's arms, and not for the CSI.__ What if it had been Catherine or any other woman from the Lab? Wouldn't have he been that alarmed? Neither of those scenarios made him feel good. On the contrary, both cases would have meant that he had lost control. He had been subjective, discriminative even._

_After parking his Denali, he practical__ly ran up to Sara's small apartment. He was still panting from climbing the stairs when he banged on her door that opened almost at the first beat._

"_Dammit Sara!"_

"_I'm okay, Griss. I'm okay."_

"_But I'm not okay. I feel as if I died thousand __deaths in that fucking hospital."_

_Sara led him to her couch and both of them sat down. She could feel how hard he was trembling so she __crawled onto his lap and hugged him tightly. There was nothing sexual in that motion, still both felt it as the most intimate reaction. They were holding each other for long minutes when Grissom started to tell Sara a story._

"_Remember the case when a guy swallowed some Logos tiles?"_

"_Uh-hum," she __moaned and tensed immediately._

"_Robbins showed me a piece that caused the death of him. It was an "S". And I was only joking when I told Al that a certain "S" would be MY cause of death. Today, I realized how __true I had been back then. Never ever had I been so scared than I was today. Never."_

_._

"We should play with these tiles now," Sara whispered to Grissom pulling him back to present.

"Yeah," he sighed. "But it looks I was wrong. We couldn't find a meaningful word, not even a morsel of a rational word."

"Or we just look at it from the wrong side."

Both Sara and Grissom were deep in their own thought when Brass entered the room. He seemed very troubled. It was funny to see that when Jim Brass was upset, he acted like a big African toad. He bulged out his face and his entire body. He marched next to Sara and opened his arms indicating he had nothing to say.

"Don't tell me the other PDs haven't interrogated the couples."

"Okay, I am not telling you that."

"They did?" Grissom asked.

"Yes, but get this. None of the couples was willing to cooperate. Sounds familiar?"

"What the hell is wrong with all of them?" Sara asked confused.

"One of the couples could hardly speak English," Brass commented blatantly.

"They were not Americans?"

"Nope, actually, all the couples turned out non-Americans. Some of them are American citizens now but they all came from Europe."

"I don't get it," Grissom said. "I doubt that Hugo and Paula selected their victims randomly; the point is that the victim should be foreigners? Why the wandering?"

"Jim, you said no one wanted to cooperate, right?" Sara turned to Brass.

"Yes."

"I would never cover for a stranger, would you Jim?"

"I would never cover for anybody," he smiled.

"You think the couples know each other?"

"Let me see those locations one more time. Maybe your theory is correct after all."

"Iwilei, Hawaii, Bicknell, Utah, Vegas, Nevada then Albany, Georgia, and Saraland, Alabama," Grissom listed them again.

"The cities were senseless. Let's see the states. **H**awaii, **U**tah, **N**evada, **G**eorgia and then **A**labama."

"HUNGA…"

"Is there a country in Europe that starts with Hunga?" Brass asked.

"The wine is Hungarian. Therefore, it must be Hungary," Grissom stated.

"Of course it is," Sara cheered.

"I don't want to burst your bubble but we don't have a state that starts with 'Y'," Brass pointed out.

"Oh," Sara sighed.

"And what about the missing 'R'?" Brass asked.

"I think I know," Grissom mused.

"You do?" Brass wondered.

"Me too." Sara smiled at her husband.

"Would you enlighten me?"

"We still have to check the relationships between the couples and Hugo-Paula, but if we are correct, then it means that only one state we have that starts with 'R' and that is…"

"Rhode Island," Brass offered the answer. "And the 'Y'?"

"There is not a state with Y at the beginning of its name. So we have to catch them in Rhode Island…or else…"

"What the hell, will they get away with this?" Brass asked disbelievingly.

"Unless we can figure out their last target in Rhode Island…"

"Sooner than Hugo and his wife…I mean Paula get there," Grissom claimed.

"I still can't see why these people would cover for Hugo and that chick. Five couples were robbed so far and they seem not to mind it. First of all, I'll trace those couples, let's see if they indeed know each other," Brass said and soon left the office.

"You might want to thank Ecklie for his help," Sara laughed at Grissom.

"The hell I won't."

"Yeah, you already did…Gil…your concern is touching…" she copied Ecklie's voice and gestures.

"Shut up, you're fired anyway!"

"At least, Cath doesn't have a crush on me," she laughed.

"Conrad only hit his head; it had to be the shock…"

"Ah, so it is Conrad now?"

"Enough, let's get some coffee instead."

They collected all their documents that were spread on the table all over and were happily walking toward the break room when some kind of a sharp croaking made them stop and see what the source of these earsplitting noises was.

There was an exotic old woman being escorted toward the exit of the building. It seemed that she definitely wanted to stay. Her huge flovncy skirt was vibrant colors of green, blue and pink. Her shirt showed the same pattern; however, it had a white background. Every CSI and Lab technician got accustomed to extremities but this short woman made even these veterans stop in their tracks.

"Get off me, brôl!" the woman shouted.

"Calm down and leave the building until you can!" a young officer said.

"That sukar blonde chavo was nice to me, get off me, dinelo!"

"What? Who?"

The woman was fighting the officer when Greg ran up to them. He was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Hey Mitch, be nice to her. She might know tricks to put a whammy on you, man!"

"This is just a cheater, Greg. I can't believe that you let her read from your palm."

"She told me my future."

"Yeah, just as she told the ones who paid a fortune to her for nothing."

"She is not a criminal, those people wanted miracle and miracle is expensive."

"But the miracle never came."

"Now, that itself is a miracle."

The young officer was walking the old gypsy woman toward the exit with Greg springing after them when the threesome reached the spot where Sara and Grissom were standing with their mouths open. All of a sudden, the gray-haired woman stopped and looked straight into Sara's eyes. She stepped closer to her and with lightening speed, she tore out a hair and then licked it. It happened so fast that no one would have prevented it.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Grissom asked angrily after he stepped in front of Sara protecting her from whatever this crazy woman planned to do to Sara.

"Let me read your future, nice gadzsi!"

"No, thanks," Sara said clearly terrified by her action.

"Don't be afraid my caj! I want good…for you."

"Mitch, walk the lady out!" Grissom ordered the officer.

"Shut up Santa!"

This earned the woman a great deal of laughter. Greg could not keep his straight face, "At least she doesn't want to see your sack."

"Greg," Sara warned him.

"What? Every Santa has a sack…full of…"

"Greg," Sara and Grissom reprimanded him.

"Oh, come on, Sara. My grandmother, Nana Olaf, she was a psychic, too. She didn't wear clothes like Cinderella does," he gestured to the old gypsy woman. "She had a kitchen table and she prognosticated for free. She had a sixth sense. And the family thinks that I might have inherited it."

"Yeah, you already told us this story…for how many times? A thousand?"

"Ma'am, let me tell you what the future holds for you," Cinderella said.

"I…I don't know. I don't believe in such a thing," Sara told her.

"Then you don't have anything to lose."

"Sara, I don't think you should…"

"I told you to shut up, Santa."

"I'll be with you if you want me to," Greg offered.

"Greg, don't encourage her."

"Oh, Santa, maybe you should let her tell you your future as well…" Greg grinned but his smile soon died when he realized that Grissom was ready to strangle him.

"Gil, it's just a game. It'll be fun."

"No, it…"

"Sara, would it surprise you if I told you that Grissom has been to a psychic?" Greg asked.

"Yeah."

"Then surprise!"

"What? You went to a psychic and you never told me about it?"

Stammering, he said, "Five minutes, Sara."

"You won't come with me?"

"No."

"Can I?"

"No, Greg!" both Sara and Grissom said in unison.

After Grissom had nodded, Mitch escorted the woman and Sara into a small office. For the first time, Grissom was grateful for the walls all made of glass. Sara was safe, he could see that. Greg was excited, Grissom was pissed off. Both men were watching Sara and the gypsy woman sitting face-to-face in that room when Grissom's cell went off. He looked at the number and shocked, he answered it.

"Oui?... Il ne peut pas être…qui n'a pas été!" he could not believe what he had just been told. "Maintenant, je ne peux pas aller."

**TBC**

_**

* * *

Author's Postscript: **__Well, only two chapters and a short epilogue left. Do you want to know what Cinderella told Sara and what that nameless psychic told Grissom years ago? Anyway, this phone call can't mean any good, huh? ;-) Oh, and as I don't speak French at all, please forgive me for the mistakes I might have done :-)_


	18. Closer and Closer

**Chapter ****Eighteen**

After Grissom had let Mitch escort Cinderella and Sara into a small office, Grissom was grateful for the walls all made of glass. Sara was safe, he could see that. Greg was excited, Grissom was pissed off. Both men were watching Sara and the gypsy woman sitting face-to-face in that room when Grissom's cell phone went off. He looked at the number and shocked, he answered it.

"Oui?... Il ne peut pas être…qui n'a pas été!" he could not believe what he had just been told. "Maintenant, je ne peux pas aller."

A few more minutes later, Grissom was standing there watching but not really seeing Sara through the glass walls. He saw the two women speaking to each other but not really able to read their lips anymore. That phone call from Paris had thrown him off his mental balance. Grissom had thought they had more time together in Vegas but now, he had to tell his wife that an old professor had cancelled his lectures, so he had to go back to the capital of France by end of this week, so he could start his course on Monday. And today was Thursday.

"Bad news, Grissom?" Greg asked him tearing the older man out of his wandering.

"What?"

"Are you worried? About Cinderella? About me?"

"Why would I be worried about you?"

"Who knows, maybe Cinderella suggests that Sara should have been married to me."

"This woman is allegedly a psychic not a comedian, Greg."

"Now, that was rude."

"Yeah, no evidence proves that psychics exist."

"And the same also fails to proof the contrary."

"Would you please keep quiet?"

"Ain't it eavesdropping?"

"Ssss!"

"Oh, Cinderella was wrong, you're not Santa, you're the bad-bad Grinch!"

The look Grissom had shot toward Greg made the young CSI silent immediately. Both were watching Sara as she listened carefully to Cinderella.

"What do you want to know, you shuchar caj?"

"I don't know if I…"

"I can tell you secret of your future love life…or your career…children…or…"

"Ah, I…maybe about the future…in general…please," Sara whispered shyly.

"You're afraid of the future, gadzsi. But if you are not confident of the future, you ruin your present. Just because your past was dark and full of fights for surviving, you have to believe."

"Everybody has secrets…from their past…"

"Someone's darker than others'. Give me a Quarter."

Sara did as she was told. The gypsy woman spat onto the coin and then put it under the leading card of the Tarot pack of cards. The old lady mumbled something that Sara could not comprehend and then she skillfully shuffled the cards. Cinderella placed the deck of cards in front of Sara.

"All the cards are now laid out before you. They have been shuffled; you may shuffle them again if you want."

"No, it's fine."

"Good, good, ranyi! Now, run your finger along the cards, when you feel that you've reached your card, touch it but don't turn it up."

After a short hesitation, Sara chose "her" card and just as Cinderella had asked, Sara lightly touched that special one. Sara could not deny that she was nervous. Even though she really thought about this whole future-telling thing as a game, it excited her nonetheless.

Sara knew not much about Tarot. But she knew that the origins of Tarot cards were shrouded in mystery. Though they appeared to have originated in Italy in the early Renaissance period where some very early decks of Tarot cards had been located, there might well be an even earlier link with Gypsies travelling to Europe from India. She also read historical references to cards similar to Tarot in Germany, where several late medieval town councils prohibited their use. Some suggested that the origins of Tarot cards were much older, and to be found amongst the mystery of the Gypsies. Sara had had friends in college who had gone to a psychic before the end of each semester. Sara had never gone with them fearing that the psychic would reveal something embarrassing about her past.

.

"_Oh, come on, Sara! It'll be fun!" Cindy told __the young college girl._

"_I don't believe in such a thing."_

"_You don't have to believe. You just have to enjoy it. Why can't you relax just for a second? No wonder you don't have a boyfriend," Barbara complained._

"_If you two want to go there, fine…but leave me alone. Everybody can manage a boyfriend; even an amoeba can reproduce themselves. I came here to learn not to get a boyfriend."_

"_Yeah, right. Just stay here__ little Sara and learn that boring bug stuff for that boring Mr. Bug-professor. What's his name?"_

"_Dr. Gil Grissom," Sara breathed._

"_Seriously Sara, you should come with us, who knows maybe that old bag would tell you that this Grissom guy wants to 'bug' you…" she laughed._

"_Shut up, girls! I don't force you to do something I know you would hate…like learning for your exams instead of partying all nights.__ So I just want you to respect my wish too. So bye!"_

_.  
_

Cinderella picked the card Sara had selected and then turned it up, placed onto the table in front of her and quickly spread a weird figure out of the rest of the cards.

With careful eyes, the gypsy woman ran through the cards and suddenly looked at Sara, her eyes got wide and instinctively she covered her mouth with her hand to hide the unexpected surprise.

"What is it?"

"Oh, my! Oh…my Lord!"

* * *

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* * *

"Already packed?"

"Yeah, I want to be over with it as soon as we can. This stress is killing me."

"Relax, just relax. Tomorrow will be our last day in Providence, so let's just enjoy it okay?"

"How can you be so calm? What if your friends change their minds?"

"Honey, they will not! We are doing this…this for years."

"Have you booked the tickets?"

"Not yet, we have to wait until we call the others and then…you know until the others clear the way for us to leave. Don't worry, everything will be alright."

"I hope so."

"Now, try to sleep, tomorrow is our big day," Hugo kissed his wife and closed his eyes intending to sleep.

"I'm very nervous."

"Sleep!"

* * *

GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR - GSRGSRGSR

* * *

Jim Brass had been on the phone for the last hour or so and he had had hard time to believe what he had learned about Hugo and Paula. With his fuzzy handwriting, he had jotted the information down and now, he was just staring at the paper. Brass stood up and decided to share the new information with his two favorite CSIs.

Still deep in thoughts, he was walking through the hallway to find Grissom and Sara when he caught the sight of a happy Catherine. Brass stopped for a second intending to greet his third favorite CSI but then the note-pad in his hand admonish the good captain of an obligation.

With a last glance at Catherine's direction, Jim Brass continued on his way toward the Grissoms. He could hear him sooner than he could see them. _Storm in Paradise_, he thought. He went closer but remained out of sight.

"Sara, if that woman said nothing significant or relevant, then why don't you tell me about it?"

"I asked you to come in with me, didn't I? But you preferred not to hear what she might want to say. So why the sudden enthusiasm?"

"It's not that. I just want to know what…"

"Will you tell me what that psychic of yours told you years ago?"

"I would but I don't remember."

"Come on, you remember everything! You just don't want to tell me. So I won't either."

"If I tell you, will you tell me?"

"I thought you said you didn't remember."

"Um…I can recall some…things…"

Brass was hesitating. He loved good and juicy stories. In this sense, he and Catherine were like twins. But knowing Grissom's speed of telling a story, mostly when it was squeezed out of him, well, Brass decided that he would not sacrifice an hour to strike root at the door, so he turned to leave the crazy couple alone for a few minutes and went back to find Catherine.

"Hey, Cath!"

"Jim! Howdy?"

"I'm good. Just thought I join you here…as in a certain office…big secrets are on the way to be revealed."

Catherine's eyes kindled, "Which office?"

"No, noo. I'm not gossiping."

"Yes, you are, so which one and who are there?"

"Grissom and Sara's office and you won't go there."

"I so go!"

However, Brass also would have loved to know about that secret date of Grissom with that future-teller, he did not think that his old friend would appreciate it if any of them eavesdropped. So he gently grabbed the excited Catherine by one of her arms and prevented her from leaving the room.

"Let me go, Jim. I know you also want to hear it. I'll tell you…or better, come with me."

"I said I am not gossiping. However, I am willing to think about the last part of your offer."

"What?"

"Forget it," Brass told Catherine still holding onto her arm.

"Oh, Jim! Please, we'll run out of time."

"Sure we will. Because we won't go anywhere."

Getting a little angry, Catherine jerked her arm out of Brass' grip but with the same motion, she bumped her now free arm into the cupboard and so, she beat down a bowl of sugar.

"Damn! See what you did, Jim!"

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes you did. It's your fault, so you will vacuum it."

"Well, I heard you are much better with vacuum than me…"

All the fight left Catherine's body. The smirk on her friend's face confirmed her fear. Or was she again just too paranoid? Until now, Catherine was so sure that it had been Ecklie in that restaurant that day when she and Mandy had discussed her humiliating story.

.

_"Look, Cath, I wasn't supposed to eavesdrop on you, however, I would hardly call it that. I…I wanted to tell you that I…I was probably taken for someone else."_

_"Yes, I thought you were someone else. Not that it could explain why I kept talking shit."_

_"Shit?"_

_"You know, the garlic, the Dracula stuff…it was just that pattern on Sa…somebody's neck and…you know."_

_"Ah, of course," Mandy smiled. "And don't worry, I didn't tell anybody how you learned to kiss."_

_Now, openly blushing, "Oh, I…I made it up…a bit, don't take me seriously."_

_"You don't have to be embarrassed. Everybody has…a way to practice."_

_"I'd appreciate if you keep it between us."_

_"You can trust me. I'm not gossiping."_

_For a few more minutes, both Catherine and Mandy felt uncomfortable but slowly as their beverages got consumed they got relaxed. And minutes later, they were just laughing at Catherine's special way of learning how to kiss. Mandy even swore that she would try it out right after she arrived home._

_"Ladies, your coffees are paid"_

_"What do you mean?" the two women asked in unison._

_"A gentleman paid for them and told me to tell you that he loved the lesson," the middle-aged waitress said unsure what the message really meant._

_"What gentleman?" Catherine asked nervously._

_"He was sitting behind you, and just left a minute ago. Some cop or something."_

_"How would you know that?"_

_"He said he was with LVPD."_

_._

This time, Catherine wanted to be sure if it had been Brass who had heard them. Had Ecklie been just pulling her leg, had he been only bluffing? Or was Brass doing so now?

"You never heard me vacuuming, Jim."

"But I wish I had heard you…or seen you."

Catherine could beat that naughty grin off his face. Jim Brass was a master of cryptic teasing. No one could decide if he was serious or not, if he knew something or not. But the blonde supervisor feared he knew exactly what he was insinuating. For long seconds, Catherine could not say a word.

"Okay, I leave you to your…um…work. Should I ask Mandy to call a janitor?"

"You…you…" Catherine was about to attack Brass but the man in question was faster and was already out of the room. In the safety of public place, Brass turned back to Catherine for a moment and blew a kiss to her.

Catherine had never been more flushed. She just wanted to sublimate.

* * *

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* * *

Conrad Ecklie was pacing his room since he had arrived home. His head was hurting like hell, his heart was hammering in his chest, and his thoughts were spinning in his head.

He did not really understand why he was feeling the way he did. Everything seemed so twisted so betraying. He wanted to get back the old Ecklie who he had been. The old, good and relievable Conrad Ecklie. The poor guy looked around in his home and he sadly had to notice that there was no sign of any women in his life.

"I can't be gay."

He could not find the answer to his unspoken question of why it bothered him that Grissom and Sara had been married now. Was it the fact that he had not been informed? Was it the fact that he had not been there? Would he have wanted to be there at all?

With heavy heart and head, Ecklie swallowed two strong painkillers and went to bed hoping that at least this killing headache would go away by the time he would have to get up.

* * *

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* * *

Back in the Lab, Sara and Grissom were holding each other's hands. Sara was touched by Grissom's trust in her.

"You think I am crazy, huh?" Grissom asked shyly.

"Why would I think that?"

"Because."

"Look, I think it's cool that you wanted to know about your future. And as a scientist, it was kind of an experience. You can't have an opinion on this stuff until you were there at least once."

.

"_Come in young man," the smoky-haired old gypsy woman said to the __fifteen-year old Gilbert Grissom._

"_Good morning…um…hello."_

"_Sit down and tell me why you are here."_

_The young man felt his cheeks burning. Why did this lady think he was there? Grissom knew he should not be here._

"_Are you thinking about leaving but then you will never know what you might want to know. I know the answers to your questions. Don't you want to know? Can you accept not knowing?"_

"_I don't know if I have the right…"_

"_Look, first I tell you things about your past…"_

"_I thought you would tell me about my future."_

"_You know your past; I know your future…this way you can check…you know my credibility."_

"_Alright." And ever so slowly, Grissom gave his hand to the woman for inspection._

"_Oh, you came from a loving family. You are very lucky."_

"_Well…I didn't call it…"_

"_Just because you can't hear your mother's laughter, it doesn't mean she never laughs, just because your father is far away, it doesn't mean he left you alone completely."_

"_Oh."_

"_There are long-long lonely years behind you and there are more ahead of you but know that today your essence of life was born. Today, your fate is crying desperately but someday, laughter will replace this cry. You have to be careful, though. You will bring back cry, much cry. You can destroy your own hope or you can cross deep water to hear the laughter again. On a crying night, you will have to decide what you want."_

"_I…I don't understand."_

"_You will little boy, you will. But cherish this day; your soul was born today."_

_._

Sara silently listened to her husband's speech. She did not know what to say. For a young teenager, this message could have been confusing but for an adult man, after so many years, it had had to be crystal clear.

"Do you know what day it was?"

Shaking her head, he answered, "I was there when you were born."

"What?"

"On your birthday."

"And you think _you_ caused me pain?"

"You cried when you were born, you smiled when we met, and then you cried again."

"But you chose me on that rainy day, you came to me, you made me happy, you are making me happy."

"Are you happy, Sara?"

"Look, Cinderella didn't mention that I married to a crazy guy!"

"What did she say?"

"You didn't want me to go with her because you feared she would tell me something that would come true?"

Grissom did not look at her, he simply nodded. The childish look on his face was Sara's undoing. She let his hand go and rushed into his arms. Grissom tightened his arms around her as much as he could without hurting her.

"She said nice things…however, I doubt they will come true," she whispered into his ear.

"What did she say?"

"She mentioned a flight…that will change our lives forever," she kissed his earlobe. "In three days…funny, huh?"

All of a sudden, the phone call from Paris an hour or so ago haunted him again. He could not help but stood there, in her embrace very still. Sara sensed that he had tensed up.

She pulled back a little and was about to ask what was wrong when a familiar voice interrupted them, "Hey, lovebirds!"

Grissom did not know if he should be happy for the interruption or not but he sure needed some more time to break the news to Sara. And he preferred to do it in private.

"What's up Jim?"

"I have news for you!"

"Ok, so what do you have?"

"Get this! All the five couples…the victims I mean…but now I don't know if I can call them real victims at all."

"An unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance or who is tricked or swindled, they are called victims, Jim."

"Thank you, Gil!"

"So?" Sara persuaded him to continue.

"Guess what their professionals are?"

"Victims," Grissom joked.

"Ha-ha-ha. Biologists. Ain't it crazy? Why would so many people want to learn Biology. And all graduated from the same university in Europe. Same university, same year."

"Wait, they all know each other?"

"Where did that cute smile of yours disappear, Gil?" Brass asked.

"Which university?"

A new smug smile formed on Brass smile, "Sorbonne University."

"Oh, no!"

"Oh, yeah. One guy from Ireland…I guess I don't have to introduce them to you, one from England, one from Belgium, one from Germany, one from Austria and guess what…one from Hungary…as you suspected."

"So they were all classmates? Gil, you should call the university for any other foreigners who graduated as a biologist when these guys did," Sara suggested.

"Good call," he said and left the office immediately.

Both Sara and Brass were waiting patiently in the room that Grissom had vacated only a few minutes ago. Sara told him about her meeting with Cinderella, of course she skipped the private stuff the gypsy woman had told her.

Within twenty minutes, Grissom entered the room with Sara and Brass.

"Mr. Haapalainen, from Finland. And I ran a search on the driving licenses…in Rhode Island, and I got one hit. Providence."

Brass was on his phone by the time Grissom stopped talking. Excitement flooded through their veins.

"Oh, and for your information," Grissom said to Sara, "Hugo's real name is Dalnoki. His mother's maiden name was Desewffy. His grandmother's maiden name was…"

"Dardos," Sara said.

"Yep."

"And you know so much about him how?"

"I have my sources," he smiled.

"Okay, guys! I called the Providence PD. They are going to check on that address and will question Mr. Brrggggbruhahaha."

"Hugo, gotcha!"

**TBC**

_**

* * *

**_

_**Author's Postscript: **__Well, only one chapter and a really-really short epilogue left. Still there are lots of whys to answer :-) But the next chapter will explain everything. Oh, and Cinderella's oracle will be fully revealed, too. Poooor Ecklie :-D_

_It is weird, I somehow don't want this story to end LOL But it has to :-D Hope you enjoyed this one!_


	19. On Duty

**Chapter ****Nineteen**

**

* * *

**

**A/N**: _I'm so horrible. I wanted to finish this story in this chapter and to add the epilogue as the last, twentieth chapter but it seems that I just couldn't stop writing. Very frustrating :D So, I slit the original 19__th__ chapter into two. Still, they are pretty long…but significantly shorter than before LOL_

_One thing I promise you that I will post the last (final) chapter tomorrow __or no later than on Tuesday :D It is ready to post…so please no more snow, and the chappy is all yours :D_

* * *

Beautiful morning greeted the citizen of Providence. The wind that had raved yesterday was gone by now, the unfriendly advection was replaced by melodic songs played by birdie orchestra. Paula woke up in her temporary nice cozy bed at about nine in the morning with a tingly feeling of excitement passing through her veins. She looked at her still sleeping husband, then got up from their warm nest and went to the window to spy outside. She was astonished at the color of the rising sun sending rays of light bouncing on their car's roof and hitting her in the eyes. The great bright glory almost blinded Paula. When she opened her eyes again, Paula saw a little yellow bird landed on a tree right next to their window. For a few seconds they were just watching each other, or the woman thought they did, and without any warning, the small bird flied against the window, tapping at it with its beak but then, it flied back to the branch of the tree it had been sitting before. And then it came back again and again. It sounded almost the same rhythm as if a kid were throwing a ball against the side of the house. Paula enjoyed the distraction at first but then the serial "attacks" made her worried. Did this animal want to come in? Why did it keep hurting itself? Why could it not enjoy the freedom?

A warm hand on her shoulder startled her but she smiled anyway. She did not know what had woken her husband – maybe the bird - but the feeling of him so close to her created a strong feeling of security. Without words, they were watching the silly bird coming back to the glass pane. Probably from the several tries, the tiny bird landed tiredly for the last time on their windowsill and looked straight into their eyes, chirped something and then flied away.

"What was that?"

"A yellow-throated Vireo."

"I didn't mean its name, I know you know them, you're an ornithologist after all. But this behavior?"

"It doesn't mean anything, dear. They only see their own reflections in the glass, that's why they come back from time to time."

"It looked as if it wanted to tell us something," Paula said and Hugo could see that she was serious.

"Yes, that we should "fly" away as soon as we are finished here," he told Paula as he pressed the word 'fly' a little more.

Hugo went into the bathroom to start his morning routine leaving the worrying Paula at the window. Although the birdie upset her a little, she had to admit that she had to be only paranoid and instead of her constantly worrying, she should be happy about this scenery the nature gave them for free. She did not consider herself superstitious but she believed that this had had to be a sign. Perhaps a sign that they would be soon free of stress. After a last glance through the window, she followed her man into the bathroom. Maybe they had some time… Little did they realize that this wonderful and brilliant morning was the beginning of their bad luck.

* * *

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* * *

"Honestly, Jack! What the hell did they think of themselves?"

"Look, buddy, like it or not, Vegas is a big...um...big. Period," the older and much less fiery patrolman said to the younger one.

"Yeah, but calling the boss in the middle of the night? And sending us to check on some fella because they "suspect" that there will happen something sometime?"

"Look, buddy, like it or not, Vegas is a big...um...big. Period," Jack told Joe.

"I'm hungry and Mary didn't make me coffee either. Can't we hop into a…"

"Look, buddy, like it or not, we have to check that address first. If we don't find any unusual, I buy you coffee."

So one bored and one hungry cop were on their way toward Mr. Haapalainen's home. Little did they suspect that another couple was in a car driving to the same house as well, and that this wonderful and brilliant morning was the beginning of their bad luck, too.

* * *

GSR – CSI – GSR – CSI GSR – CSI – GSR – CSI GSR – CSI – GSR – CSI GSR – CSI – GSR – CSI

* * *

In Las Vegas, Sara and Grissom were heading home for a well-deserved sleep. Both were excited and hopeful. They did not really talk during the drive home. After the craziness in the Lab, the silence was oh so welcomed. Grissom had thought about telling Sara about the call from Paris but then Brass had interrupted him. _Yes, it sounds reasonable_, he thought. The truth was that he had had no idea who to tell her that only two days left for them to spend in each other's company. Being so far away had been easier earlier. But now, working together again, living together again made his heart selfish. He simply did not want to be away from her anymore. So how to tell her this without sounding selfish?

"What is it?" Sara asked him.

"Huh?"

"Something wrong?"

"No!" he said a little too quickly.

"You don't have to tell me…if you don't trust me…you know…" she faked a hurt expression.

"Oh, I won't buy this, dear! You know I trust you, so…"

"Okay, how about this? No dinner."

"We ate in the Lab, I am not hungry."

"No sex?"

Now that made him look at her, "You can't do that…wouldn't do that. It would be too cruel!"

"You're right, I won't punish myself too. Um…let's see…um…I will shave a pattern into your beard."

"What will be the figure?"

When no answer came, Grissom looked at her and became alerted, Sara looked too serious. But soon her lower lip started to tremble. For some seconds, she tried to hide the surfacing laughter but soon she lost the battle and burst into earsplitting laughter.

"Stop it! I don't wanna hear it again."

"I didn't," she laughed harder with tears in her eyes, "I didn't say anything."

"But you thought about that."

"Okay, I did. But hey, you begged for that experience. You said I had overreacted that!"

"Alright. I thought you did and I know now that…guys' skins are much more sensitive."

"Bullshit. Guys just can't stand pain…"

.

"_Ouch! Goddamnit!" Sara's cry could be heard from the bathroom._

"_Sara?"_

"_Don't…come…in!"_

"_Can I help…anything?"_

"_It's all your fault!"_

_Not knowing what to say to it, he kept silent.__ It was just too hard to listen to Sara's cry. So risking his own life, he slowly reached for the handle, and pressed it down to crack the door. What or whom he found there or better said in what condition he found Sara there made him laugh._

"_What are you laughing? It hurts like hell. You don't know how much, so get out and play with your bugs or else I will wax your hairy legged friend."_

"_Leave Charlotte alone. Why don't you shave it off instead?"_

"_Have you ever kissed a __stubbly guy?"_

"_What? Of course never!__ I never kissed any guys!"_

"_And ever want to?"_

"_No!"_

"_Then be happy that I am not shaving 'it' off."_

_For a moment he didn't know what she meant but as he usually did__ when he was confused, Grissom scratched his unshaven cheeks and soon he understood. His face suddenly went deep shade of crimson at the insinuation. But as always, she was right._

"_Let me help."_

"_You can't take the pain away."_

"_It can't be that bad."_

"_Bad? Horrible," she said and her sweaty forehead and back confirmed her words. Looking up at him, the smirk on his face sealed his fate._

"_Undress!"_

"_I can wait until you finished."_

"_Undress!"_

_Suspecting that something bad was going to happen, he tried to retreat, __"Oh, boy…I have something to do…"_

"_Don't move a muscle! __Now, you can show me how big alpha male you are!"_

"_I'd prefer to show you it later…"_

"_Un-dress!"_

_Reluctantly, he started to unbuckle his belt.__ Grissom took off his pants and like a prisoner before the lethal injection, he offered his leg to Sara._

"_No, Gil! I want to wax your bikini area. __The skin of your leg is like a sole of a boot, so noooo! Be a man, and I want you smile. You know, it can't be thaaat bad," she said._

"_No way. I won't be walking like a girl. No!"_

"_Shirt! Up!"_

"_No!"_

"_Just one strip, then!"_

"_Yeah, I don't want it to be asymmetrical."_

"_Why? Who will watch it besides me?"_

_Sighing deeply, he tentatively pulled his shirt upper a little. "One strip! One try"_

_After that rather humiliating scream, Grissom never questioned Sara again why she __kept cursing during waxing._

_._

The rest of their drive was spent in great mood, at least for Sara but if Grissom wanted to be honest with himself, he had a good time too and Grissom loved his wife's laughter anyway.

"I love listening to your laughter, dear…even if the joke was on me."

"How do we laugh, Gil? Do you know the medical or chemical or even the physical process of a laugh?"

After parking the car and locking its door, Grissom held out his hand for Sara to take and they headed toward their home. Grissom was thinking for a moment, and then in a very professional and serious voice, he started to explain how people laugh.

"You know, it has something to do with nitrogen and methane, because whenever people hear someone fart, it makes them crack up."

"Well…nothing but an appetizing explanation…"

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. I think I am going to eat some salad. Are you hungry?"

"Not really. Not for salad anyway."

Within minutes, Sara took the cucumber and the tomatoes out of the fridge and started to prepare her salad. Grissom was just sitting there watching Sara meticulously chopping the red vegetable first. He could not explain why but he loved observing her preparing salad. Or anything else for that matter. It was both relaxing and sexy.

He ever so slowly walked behind Sara and waited for her to put down the knife so she could not hurt herself with it if he might startle her.

The knife in her hand immediately went still, "I can feel you, Gil."

He went closer to her, their bodies now touching, "Good coz I also can feel you. I think you could use a massage."

"Hmmmmmm, you have magical fingers," she moaned.

Grissom chose to ignore her sexual undertone and he continued to press his "magic" fingers into her stiff muscles. Sara was way too aware of how close her man was and found herself leaning backward to press her back in direct contact with his midriff and chest. His closeness ignited warmth deep inside her, and she slowly lifted her hands to slide her fingers over his, caressing his skin.

Both could sense that the atmosphere in the kitchen shifted from comforting to more intimate. The second her hands touched his skin he had felt the jolt of electricity flooded through his body to bring his senses even more alive.

"Cinderella said we were going to fly high…well, I already feel as if I am on cloud nine…whenever you are this close to me," Sara murmured.

Sara felt that one of his hands left her waist to slide around to touch her stomach and then found its way beneath her shirt. Her body started trembling in anticipation as his fingers reached the edge of her silky bra, and whimpered into his neck when his hand cupped her breast and began to gently caress her flesh.

"What else did that gypsy woman say?"

Her senses were seriously messed up by Grissom's ministration, "Something about…umm…dunno, something about passion and money…challenge."

"What else?" he asked but not really listening now.

"I…I…huh?"

Between sweet kisses, Grissom asked Sara if she was still hungry for _salad_ and she informed him that she was hungry only for him. After Grissom tried to joke with the poor cucumber being left alone, Sara declared that it had been already chopped so he did not need to be jealous of it. This last tidbit made the expected effect, and Grissom showed her how much fresher and longer he was.

They had moved as one, joined in intimacy, and when she had cried his name upon her release, Grissom's body had soon followed hers. And now, they were lying together, silently enjoying the afterglow of their lovemaking, Sara's fingers stroking his arm as her husband nestled his head where her neck and shoulder met. Neither wanted or could move, no matter how hard and cold the kitchen floor was. The little carpet had become crumpled by their activities.

Grissom lifted himself up on his elbows and with serious expression, he looked down at Sara.

"What if the neighbors called the police and they think I beat you?"

"Was I that loud?" she asked with childish innocence in her voice.

With slight proud in his voice he said, "Yes, my dear, you were."

"Then I will tell them that they could be envious because I have the most incredible and sexy and clever and loving husband in the world. So f…off, I mean they can go to the…"

Kissing her lips soundly, he pulled back a little to gaze down into her beautiful brown eyes, "I love you, Mrs. Grissom."

* * *

GSR – CSI – GSR – CSI GSR – CSI – GSR – CSI GSR – CSI – GSR – CSI GSR – CSI – GSR – CSI

* * *

Paula and Hugo were watching as the Haapalainens left their home. Hand in hand they walked to their cars and after a goodbye-kiss; they went to their own destinations. Hugo told Paula to wait for another ten minutes to be sure the owners would not come back for some reasons. When they were sure the scene was "secured", the couple exited the car and with pretended confidence, they walked to the front door of the Haapalainen's residence.

Without looking left or right, Hugo slid his magic key into the lock and then turned it twice until the door opened in front of them. Paula winked at her husband and stepped inside.

Both of them were too excited to spy all the rooms, so they intended to complete their mission and then to leave. Hugo took out the last bottle of wine from his backpack, and without any ceremony, he opened it. Lifting it at the woman who was busy with packing the DVDs into her bag, Hugo poured some of the red wine onto the floor and placed the video tape in the middle of the puddle.

"Ready?"

"Ready," the young woman replied.

"Then let's go, dear!"

They were about to open the front door when Hugo heard some strangers coming up to the entrance. He stilled Paula who backed behind Hugo.

"Honestly, Jack! What the hell do they think of themselves?"

"Look buddy, change the Bakelite, I'm getting tired of your baby-cry. Vegas ordered us to come and check, so we are coming and checking. Period."

"We could have done this AFTER I ate my breakfast and drank my coffee. See? Everything is fine, so we can leave!"

"Back off Joe! Damn, do you always think of your bottomless belly?"

"Look, I'm not a robot like you. I live on food."

"Shut your trap. And ring the bell," Jack ordered the younger cop.

They got no answer, so they tried again. Hugo and Paula started to swear, they looked at each other and the idea was suddenly born.

"Just be believable, don't over-play it, okay?" Hugo mouthed to Paula who was unsure about their plan's success.

"What if they still wanna come in…knowing we are home?"

"No one is so rude that interrupted a couple having sex…so just do it, Honey!"

"But it's private."

"I said to pretend, we won't make love here and now…"

"Okay, so what kind of intercourse do you want to hear? Lovemaking, poor sex, S&M or hard sex…"

"A good dominatrix having hard sex will work just fine," Hugo smiled widely knowing how much Paula hated that kind of behavior.

Her eyes grew wide but she knew they had no other chance to escape, so she closed her eyes for a moment and with rosy cheeks, she started to play her part.

"Awwwwwwwwww, you've been a bad-bad boy, tell mommy you were bad and now, you deserve the punishment!" she shouted.

"Don't shout, just talk loudly and give some erotica to your voice," Hugo instructed.

"What did you say, how dare you say when I didn't let you, huh? On your knees!"

Now it was Hugo's turn to get shocked. He had never thought Paula had it in her, but his musing cut short as Paula's hand contacted his butts.

"I said…on your knees, you…you useless stallion!"

On the other side of the door two pairs of ears were stuck to the door. To make the inventory, there was a pair of eyes rolling on the floor and two jaws dropped to the feet of the two cops. One cop smiled so broadly, the other feared that his face would tear into two.

"Joe, we should get back later."

"Oh, come on, Jack," the younger police officer tipped the older one's shoulder. "It's party time, enjoy it a little more."

"It's…um…it's…um…none of our business, let's go get those doughnuts for you buddy, we can come back later…after these two or yeah, two finished….their…whatever they do."

"Hey, I am a dutiful cop, Jack! I was ordered here to see if anything is unusual, and well…this IS unusual, don't you think?"

"And then what? We will stand here and eavesdrop while these…guys…um…you know…"

"Yeah," Joe grinned.

"No way. I am a church-goer, buddy, I won't listen to this disgusting stuff. And you come with me!"

"But," he started to complain but was interrupted by an angry Jack.

"Ohmigod, yeaaaaaaaaah, I was a very bad boy, that's it," Hugo moaned from inside.

"We are leaving now!" Jack commanded.

Paula clapped her hands hard to each other to add some boost to the effect. "Shut up, you nasty little shit!"

"Aahhhhh, uhhhhhhhhhh, yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Who is your momma?"

"You, you are!"

"Wrong answer," Paula screamed.

"What?" Hugo asked voicelessly.

"I asked who your momma is."

Outside of the house, Joe had never been this excited in his poor life.

"Jack, wait! I want to know who his momma is."

"Joe, come or I'm gonna report you!"

The two cops, Joe and Jack left the Haapalainen's residence in a hurry, so the poor couple could stop their performances. They were playing along for a little, so the cops surely would not come back, and when they were sure the street was free of nosy or not nosy cops, Hugo and Paula packed their stuff and flashed out of the house.

In their car and on their way out of Providence, Hugo took his cell phone out of his pocket. He smiled at the driving Paula, and dialed the first number he could think of at that moment.

"It's Haapalainen speaking."

"Hey Teemu, it's Hugo."

"My rotten friend, don't tell me you are in Providence!"

"Nope," he said.

"Thanks God!"

"I WAS in Providence."

"What? No way!" he laughed. "When? How? We just left an hour ago."

"We have just left a few minutes ago."

"So you two made it, you really made it! Congratulations!" Teemu said sincerely.

"Thanks, but two cops will visit you about sometime. Because you and Raia had pretty hard sex half an hour ago."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?"

"Oh, sorry, they won't visit your because of it…they left because of it, I think they wanted to ask you if you know anything about us. So could you please go home and fix _your_ problem?" Hugo could not keep the laughter out of his sentences.

"Okay, my friend. Should I call the others or will you?"

"I will call them."

"So what will you two do now? Stay in the States for a while or go back to Europe?"

"Paula misses Budapest, so we go back."

"Okay, once again, congrats, and we see you later!"

"Thanks, and yeah, we will. Bye."

* * *

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* * *

It was a calm Friday afternoon that welcomed the couple in Las Vegas. Grissom lazily looked at his sleeping wife in his arms. For a moment he could not remember how or when they had gotten to their bed. But right now, he did not care. That certain phone call bothered him. Not really the call itself but the fact that he had to tell Sara about this. The longer he postponed it, the harder it seemed to become to tell her. First, he had not told her because of Brass and his news, then that silly salad prevented him from informing her. And now? She was sleeping, he reasoned. Grissom closed his eyes again to sink back into a wonderful slumber when Sara started to stir. A great stretching always did Sara good, so she practiced it every morning…or afternoon. The man next to her also appreciated her actions; it always made her perfect body easier to survey.

"Hey," she smiled sweetly.

"Hey," he called back and leaned closer to give her a kiss but as he expected, she rolled onto her other side.

"Sorry big boy, I have a hot date with my toothbrush. Then I'm all yours!"

"Do you want a double date? I am coming too."

Soon, they became 'kiss-ready'. Grissom loved their "morning" routine after they got up; but Sara always rushed to the bathroom to freshen up as soon as she could. For her, it was essential to always be fresh and had wonderful smell.

"Did you know that there is sausage-flavored toothpaste?" Grissom asked.

"Yuck! My intention is to get rid of the devil's breath, not to make it worse," she mused.

They made early dinner together, ate together and within an hour, they left for work together. Neither of them suspected that another couple was also on their way in a car.

The Lab seemed peaceful and welcoming. Judy greeted them; Catherine immediately walked up to them and started her daily chit-chat. That was how the Grissoms got to know that Hodges had been left heartbroken as Wendy had quitted and moved far from Vegas.

After Catherine shared all the new gossip she had learned in the last thirty minutes, she left them alone, so Sara and Grissom went to their office.

Only five or ten minutes had passed since Sara and Grissom's arrivals but Greg Sanders already was bouncing down the hallway in search of his favorite colleagues. His radar worked wonderfully.

"Ah, you are here!"

"Hi Greg," Sara greeted him back.

"Grissom, it's good that this time you came in and say a proper goodbye!"

With obvious shock mirrored on Sara's face, she opened her mouth but no voice came through her lips. She only was staring at her husband.

"Sara…I wanted to tell you…"

"Oh," Greg said.

"Are you going somewhere?" she whispered.

"I got a call from Paris."

"When?"

"Hell, I have so much to do, sorry guys," and with that Greg rushed out of the firing-line.

"When?"

"Yesterday…when you played with that gypsy woman."

"Well, then there is nothing else to talk about," Sara said and left the room leaving a panic-stricken Grissom behind.

**TBC**

_**

* * *

Author's Postscript:**__ Okay guys, we only have the last chapter to read. About Ecklie, Cath and most of all, about GSR-Hugo/Paula. Hopefully tomorrow! Thanks for reading this one!_


	20. Leaving Las Vegas

**Chapter Twenty**

Late in the afternoon on a bright Friday, Conrad Ecklie woke up with smile on his face. He touched his head, his face but did not feel any pain. Just as he had hoped, the headache had gone. With newly-regained energy, he got up, went to the bathroom and then looked into the mirror to adore that beauty face that he thought was looking back at him.

"You're a very attractive guy, Conrad. Naturally handsome."

He stepped into the bathtub whistling a song that no other living soul would have recognized, and Conrad Ecklie decided to start a new life. After the hell in the Lab earlier, he needed a new himself. A new and much more confident.

"That Willows is crazy. I'm not gay, yes, I am drawing attention and I am attracting women and men but I'm not gay!"

After he showered the heavy burden of being an important boss of the Lab off of his body and mind, he felt stronger and more desirable. As a part of the new life, he chose to eat something healthy. With a bowl of milk and some cereals in it in hand, he went to watch a movie. The happy Undersheriff started to watch 'The interview with the Vampire'.

The more he watched it, the more confused he became. One of the vampires was portrayed as a beautiful and ambrosial man. Ecklie had to admit that it was true. When it became clear that that Armand guy was gay, his earlier doubt surfaced again. If every handsome and hot man had to be gay…as this movie said…then he should be gay too just as Willows had told him?

He needed to work these doubts, fears and building energies off somewhere. So he got up to go the nearer gym. Packing the stuff he would need, Ecklie was out of his house and on his way to the Muscle Men Gym Club. He paid for a one-day admission card – just to see if he liked the place at all, and proudly looked around. Ecklie was dressed up in a matching headband to his T-shirt to his pants and shoes. It screamed 'hey, lookie here, I am so fashionable but I can't lift worth diddly'. Anyway, he went closer to one of the equipments.

He started to work his upper body when the good Undersheriff heard someone grunting. There was nothing bad with grunting as it had been proven to give an extra burst of energy, but grunting when pushing some respectable weight, that made a man look a complete idiot. Or very desperate. Ecklie went closer to the sweating guy and got pleasantly surprised when he saw that it was David Hodges.

"Hodges?"

Panting, "Ecklie?"

"I see you have very nice and worked-out arms, David." _Just like that boss vampire has in that movie._

Taken aback by his choice of words he carefully said, "Thank you!" _Damn, Ecklie complimented on my body? What's wrong with him?_

"What would you suggest me?"

Suddenly the memories of the leaving and crying Wendy came back to him. Closed his eyes and ardently, the words bubbled out of him.

"I suggest that no man should love a woman. Women are just like typhoons, when you met one, she is all warm and wet, but when she leaves, she takes your heart and everything that was precious for ya with her leaving you a mess."

Catherine's word echoed in Ecklie's head.

_Oh, Conrad, I was there when__ you dated that…what's his name?_

HIS name! Had she been right and he was gay indeed? He once again became very confused. The movie earlier, Catherine's insinuation even much earlier, and now, the need to comfort Hodges…

"Let's go and um…drink something…David…"

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* * *

"Yes, hello, I'd like to ask when the next available flight from New York to Paris is," said Hugo into the phone.

"Moment, please…Yes, there is a place still available at…"

"No, make that two. Me and my wife, please."

"I see. Then the first flight is available only on Sunday…at 10 am. Delta Airlines 8570."

"That sounds great."

* * *

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* * *

No one dared to stop and ask Sara why she seemed so angry and most of all whom she was so pissed off as the woman marched through the dark corridor of the Lab. Reaching her destination, Sara slowed down and knocked tenderly on Catherine's door.

"Hey, come on in!"

"Cath, I have to talk with you. We have a problem."

Catherine had no time to react as Brass – recognized Sara's voice immediately – entered her office.

"No, no! We do not have any problem, and what is more, we can close the Hugo-Paula case, as no crime happened. No crime…no case. Done."

"What?" both Sara and Catherine asked in unison.

"The couple you two interrogated the other day…well, they've just called that no burglary happened, they simply "forgot" to tell us that they had given a key to one of their friends and lend them the DVDs, bla-bla-bla."

"Forgot? Forgot? Are they idiots? Or simply liars!" Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and take this. All the other couples reported their "mistakes" too. They all claimed the exact same bullshit."

"So case solved, file closed?" Catherine cheered.

"I guess so as we can't arrest somebody on suspicion of forgetfulness. But I don't get it. Really." Sara said surprisingly calmly.

"Same here, doll," Brass told Sara. "Will you tell this to Gil?"

"Yeah. Anyway, we still can catch them in Rhode Island! That is their last destination," Sara tried.

"Oh…" Brass started to laugh. "No, we won't. I called the PD in Providence and they said not to worry, nothing had happened. They sent two patrols over the given address, and they had found nothing…unusual."

"Why do you find it so amusing?" Catherine asked Jim Brass.

"Guess what those idiots found there?"

"Tell us, stop teasing! Stop laughing!" Sara ordered now impatiently.

"The two…um…primitive asses reported nothing unusual, just a naughty party…yeah, the wine…the video tape and so on, and they filed their complaints about hard work circumstances because they had to go back because they didn't want to interrupt the couple having sex…hard."

"What the hell? Hugo and his wife were there and the officers didn't think it odd?"

"They said they hadn't wanted to interrupt the couple. They were sure they had heard the Haapalainens," Brass explained.

"Hugo and Paula fooled the cops? Congratulations!" Catherine murmured.

"Look, Cath. We, cops have style, you know."

"Yeah. Can't we do anything? We just let Hugo and Paula get away with this?"

"As I said…no crime…no case. Only a bunch of gaga people including our clever colleagues in Providence."

"What about the forgery?" Sara insisted.

"No forgery either. Hugo and Paula applied for the documents at the Local Passport Agencies. Every time they said that the passports had been either stolen or lost or whatever, the point is that our administrative system is not as flawless as we thought. You know, different states, different procedures. I know for sure that in one case, the woman was crying and said that her best friend died so she needed the papers asap, plus, Hugo claimed that his father was abusive so he wanna change his name to a new one as the part of his therapy, and so on."

"No one questioned them why the frequent name-change? Weird."

"You have the right to change your name. Even though you didn't, Sidle. And I guess, with some extra money…"

"Actually I like them. Playing S&M to fool the cops…" Catherine smiled at her colleagues but Brass did not look so amused now.

"You know what bothers me? I still don't know why they did what they did. So much hassle but why?" Sara whined.

"You know your husband's opinion on whys…" And with that Brass said his goodbye to the ladies.

"I can't believe this."

"You know I don't mind that we have a case closed at last. Sara, you said there was a problem."

"Well, yeah. You should look for a new hire. I am leaving Vegas in two days."

"What? Why?"

"Grissom has to go back to Paris, and with all honesty, I don't think I can live so far from him. I thought we could do this, but I had to realize that _I_ cannot do this. I am missing him every second he is away from me."

"Why don't you two stay?"

"We can't, the stuff in Paris is shorthanded. Maybe one day we come back."

Catherine was about to say something when Grissom shyly knocked on the door asking if it was safe to enter.

"Sara, please," he started.

"Well, thank you, Gil. You stole my CSI. But know that you two won't leave without a farewell party. Don't worry, there will be no cake there – I am on diet. Only lots of alcohol."

"I stole…"

"Yeah, book two tickets to Paris, I am going with my husband. Do you know him?"

* * *

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* * *

The mini party had started right after shift. Somehow, no one had seemed tired. That party was for no other reason other than to hang out with friends and to bid farewell to the Grissoms properly. Catherine had bought tons of finger foods like cheese, crackers, pepperoni, fondue, mini-meatballs, fish fingers, dips, chips and fresh fruit, now they all were placed in bowls or onto trays.

Of course, Greg, an oddly behaving and bewildered Hodges and Brass had arrived first, closely followed by Mandy and Nick. Henry had knocked on Catherine's door only minutes later. The last guest had been the Vegas-leaving couple itself.

Catherine had wanted to do her best to entertain her guests and make the Grissoms' departure memorable. The ladies had drunk low-alcohol wine, while the guys had consumed whisky or beer.

The time had gone by so quickly that no one seemed to notice, the gathering went so well that everybody was smiling and laughing even though all of them felt a pang of sadness because Sara and Grissom was going to leave Vegas the next day.

Now as the party came to an end, Greg was standing in front of Sara and after a short glance toward Grissom he hugged Sara so tightly she thought she would die right in his embrace. After a modest nudge from Grissom, Greg let Sara go. He turned to his former boss and shocked him by hugging the older man with the same intensity as he had done to Sara seconds earlier.

Then, Nick kissed Sara goodbye and shook hands with Grissom. The young supervisor said how much he hated that they were going to leave them again and that he hoped some day they would go back and not just for a short visit.

Mandy shyly said goodbye to Grissom and with sincere friendship, she hugged Sara. Grissom was wondering how come that everybody hugged his wife and only shook hands with him. Not that he longed to be hugged, but still.

Eventually, Hodges inched closer to his idol and his wife to tell nice words to Sara confessing how much he loved to work with her but soon he stepped even closer to Grissom. Hodges started his lengthy speech stating that he was going to miss Grissom and his wise guidance. To the question why he acted oddly today, Hodges did not want to answer. He seemed to get upset and soon he left the Willows residence.

At last, Catherine walked her guests to the door and then said her own goodbye and see-you-soon to Sara and Grissom. As always, she did not hide her emotions, so she embraced both of them; she even dared to kiss Grissom on his cheek that he oddly did not mind.

Brass, like a gentleman, shook hands with his friend and kissed Sara on both cheeks. He made them promise to call him if they needed anything…anytime.

After the only married couple in their gang had left, Catherine was sitting on her couch and silently wiped the tears off of her face. Brass went to sit next to her and held her hands.

"They didn't leave forever, you know. Think about it as their normal honeymoon."

"I know. But I already miss them. Damn Paris."

"Maybe once we will visit them in Paris. How does that sound?"

"Too far away," she smiled despite of her mood.

"Okay, I better go and take a nap before shift," Brass told Catherine.

"Oh, no! You will help me to get rid of this mess, Jim!"

"Okay, I will gather the boxes and cups, you will vacuum…" he smirked.

"How long will I have to listen to this…affair?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Oh, come on Cath, it's not common to learn to kiss that way. You always were very creative."

"Stop it!"

"Tell me once again," he teased the "indignant" woman.

"I haven't told you once…you eavesdropped!"

"I didn't have to. You were loud enough to hear," he laughed.

"I made it up."

"Was it your idea?"

"No, my best friend told me to try it. She said it would help me to French kiss my boyfriend and that he would be…actually, it didn't work."

"Why not?" Brass asked letting Catherine chit-chatting again.

"When I first…and for the same time…for the last time I took my friend's advice, I mean to try her stupid idea out, my mom left the height adjustment on the maximum, so its pipe sucked my lips in so much, its end left a nasty mark on my face. I couldn't go to school for days."

"Well, your boyfriend had to be surprised indeed," he chuckled.

"Let's just say that by the time I came back to school…he had had another girlfriend."

"He didn't know what he lost."

"Would you please not to tell anyone about it? Please?"

"I'm not the one gossiping around, Cath!"

"Me neither."

"Yeah…yeah…so what should I throw away first?" he asked as he looked around to find a sack for the rubbish.

* * *

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* * *

Grissom found it interesting that even though Sara was a practised traveler she felt that they needed to have everything with them. They had everything in Paris as well but Sara had packed two huge suitcases for each of them. Pants, dresses, shoes, toiletries, blazers, shirts, skirts, socks and even newspapers. Grissom had written a list, checked it twice before starting to pack but by the time he went to the bedroom, Sara had already packed everything for him as well. The only task left for Grissom was to tag the suitcases and then they were ready to leave the city of games for Paris.

Their flight was scheduled to take off at 10 pm that night, so they had to be at the airport two hours prior. They would have almost a day to kill in New York before their flight to Europe. For some reason, neither of them was melancholic. This time they were going to travel together.

* * *

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* * *

"What? No, that can't be ma'am. It is impossible. We have to be in Paris sooner."

"Sorry, sir. I understand your problem, we really do but because of the mechanical failure…"

"And isn't there another flight, I don't like flying at night?" Hugo asked._ I don't like flying at all._

"As a compensation, we can offer you two tickets…first class," the lady said.

"Oh, dear, I've never traveled first class; let's…just let's try it for once. We don't have to be in a hurry," Paula purred into his husband's ear.

"Okay. So about this flight…"

"This is again Delta Airlines 8556, you can check in at 6 pm tonight."

Hugo was still fuming a little, even after half an hour that incident at the airport. Paula did not mind flying first class, she was pretty happy actually. And they had so much time to kill, so she suggested that they should go for shopping in NYC. Now, they had enough money to spend some on dresses, she thought.

"Why are you so angry? First class, honey!"

"Yeah, but I don't know why but I just wanted to go with the earlier flight."

"Does this make any difference?"

"I don't know. Call it a hunch."

"Are you afraid?"

"No."

Paula was about to say some soothing words to her husband when her cell phone went off.

"Paula, my dear!" Mrs. MacEntaggart, their friend from Las Vegas, said.

"Shannon, hey, how are you?"

"Thanks for asking, I am feeling great. Patrick asked me to call you because of our part of the password."

"Ah, yeah, right."

"Do you have a pen?"

"I will remember. You can tell me now."

"Ok, so, 7788."

"Thanks. Will tell Hugo. And we are so sorry for the hassle, this has never happened before."

"Look, the police was so eager to catch you; we enjoyed it this way even more. It was more exciting. And anyway, we were interested if you two could trick them, and you evidently could. I am happy for you, dear."

"Thanks. And again so sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's okay. We laughed at those investigators. The little lady became so embarrassed when we acted as if we felt insulted when she couldn't pronounce our name properly."

"You are so cruel, Shannon," Paula laughed.

"But that guy was so funny. He thought we couldn't read his poker face. He tried to say our name, too. And that Grissom buddy was pretty good."

"Who?"

"A certain Grissom, why?"

"Ah, never mind," Paula said but remembering well this name from a certain flight with her husband. Grissom was not a common name; however, it was not all that rare either. Could the two Grissoms be the same?

.

"_Honey, it was just a hopper, you scared it."_

"_You know I hate insects. God! My pulse…and my canvas…" she gulped with mixed fear and anger. "Why didn't show this monster to your entomologist friend on the New York flight?"_

"_First, I didn't have it then, and I can hardly call him my friend."_

"_But you were talking to him, right? You have your cute charm," she smiled at him._

"_I doubt it worked on him. I think he didn't like me. He was rude at first, and then he became friendlier. Oh, and I think you'd have liked him. He also loves Egypt."_

"_Egypt is wonderful. He should bring his wife there."_

"_If he is really married."_

"_He said he was. Why would anybody lie about things like this?"_

"_Come on, honey, people at his age with this kinda profession? Is there any woman who has the stomach…"_

"_You're evil. Your meat-eating plant isn't as desirable as you think it is, either, and I'm still here."_

"_True but he ignored me entirely. I needed to talk to someone. I was claustrophobic. And he.."_

"_Why do you care now? You will never meet Mr.…um….What was his name?"_

_._

After they hung up, Paula mulled over the name Grissom. Should she tell about him to her husband or not? She finally decided that it was better if she did.

* * *

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* * *

The flight from Vegas to New York had been uneventful. After landing, Sara and Grissom decided to look for a restaurant where they could eat an early breakfast. Normally, people would be dead on their feet at that hour in the morning but the Grissom was accustomed to being active at night. They were like vampires.

Grissom was away to put their suitcases in the luggage-locker while Sara was waiting for him on a bench. She was wondered why that couple had been that upset and then all of a sudden so very satisfied. She heard some shreds from their conversation about first class and Paris but then she lost interest in them as Sara saw her husband approaching.

"Can we go?" Grissom reached for her hand and they left the airport.

* * *

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* * *

The exhausted couple hurried through the crowd at the JFK airport. The destination was the same: the check-in point for Delta Airlines 8556. Grissom was a little cranky because Sara had made him to open his suitcase to tuck some dresses into it as hers had been already full. So now they had to race to stand in the queue, and if it was possible, stand at the beginning of it and not at the end.

"Good evening, sir!"

"Good evening," Grissom squeezed Sara's hand to sign that she should not correct the lady about the greeting. He could read Sara's mind. A simple 'good evening' or a little more complicated 'Good evening, sir and ma'am' would have been more appealing for her.

"Good evening to you too, Miss."

The lady behind the counter looked at Sara but said nothing. This time Grissom not only squeezed her hand but also looked at her silently pleading to let it go. And she did.

"Alright, sir. First class, seat F11 and F12 on the right."

"Thank you!"

"Yeah, thanks!" Sara said.

After the usual procedure at the check-in counter, Sara and Grissom were boarding their flight to Paris. They easily found their seats, and after a short settling in, Sara turned to her beloved man.

"How come we travel first class?"

"Take it as a compensation for our sudden departure," he caressed her cheeks and kissed her on the lips.

"Ah, I won't buy this, sweetheart. You just don't like people around you, that's why we are here."

"That's not true…okay, not completely true," he blinked a bit faster.

"Yes, it's true. Admit it."

"No."

"I don't mind being alone either…"

"Sara!"

"What? I meant we can rest in peace. Ooops, not a good choice of words before a flight. I mean no one will bother us, that's what I meant."

"I know exactly what you meant, dear," he smiled at her knowing the woman sitting close to him way too well.

The first class was almost full, so Grissom was satisfied by the fact that they would travel in relative peace as nobody claimed the seats next to them. The constant noises that the aircraft generated could be irritating; but Grissom found that sound much more pleasant than humans' voices right next to his ears. Gilbert Grissom was a happy man.

In the nick of time, a middle-aged man and a much younger woman hurried along the aisle passing by the Grissoms' row but then stopped still, then turned back and in the end, they slumped into the empty seats next to the now less happy man. Grissom looked at him but just as soon looked away as the back of that guy faced Grissom. The couple was panting and laughing. _Typical physiological reaction_, Sara thought but she was not into smelling the breath of these people so she watched intently the frame of the squared little window of the plane instead. Grissom looked at Sara and knew she was as disappointed as he was, so he took her hand and started to massage it.

Just before the plane started moving, the air conditioning had momentarily shut off and the cabin lights blinked once or twice. Then the captain introduced himself and the rest of the flight crew then welcomed his passengers, he went on to say their destination, the expected weather conditions on the route, then the planned cruising altitude, and at the end of his speech he stated that they were ready for the take-off.

About half an hour later, Grissom finally kissed Sara's palm, then let her hand go and sat straight in his seat. Already missing his touch, Sara cuddled closer to the man she loved.

"Gil?"

But the man in question did not answer. Sara immediately knew something was wrong.

"Grissom?"

Hearing that name, the fifty-something aged guy turned his head in surprise. _Grissom_…he heard that name before.

"Grissom," he said, almost whispered.

"Hugo!"

Both Sara and the woman – Sara suspected it had to be Paula – opened their mouths but could not formulate a single word.

"Grissom," Hugo cheered. "I can't believe that we are traveling on the same plane again. But now, back to Paris?" He tried to pretend that he remembered him only from their journey weeks ago and not from the investigation Sara and Grissom had been conducting.

"Hugo Deveny?"

"Yeah do you know my wife, Paula?"

"Yeah, even though we have never met before," Grissom said still in shock.

"How?" he faked an innocent expression but he knew that he was losing battle.

Paula had a bad feeling, she could not explain why but panic started to hit her hard. She touched Hugo's arm to alert him too, though there was no escape from here.

"Let me introduce myself. Gil Grissom and this is my wife, Sara. We worked for the Las Vegas Police Department. And we talked with your friends…um…some… MacEntegart," Grissom explained. "Oh, don't be this surprised, I know you must know who we are."

"Didn't you say you were a guest lecturer?"

"Good memory, Mr. Deveny."

"It's good to finally meet you, Sara. Can I call you Sara?"

"Hi," Sara did not know what else she could say in this absurd moment.

"Gil, Sara, please meet my wife, Paula."

"Nice to meet you too."

"What the hell do you think you two are doing here?"

"Well, my friend, I think it is pretty obvious. We are going home. I take it you know where we live."

"Will you tell me why and how?" Grissom could not resist the temptation to learn as much about this weird couple as he could.

"Gil," Hugo laughed. "Is it bothering you that you couldn't catch us?"

"I still can arrest you."

"For nothing? I don't think so. Is it bothering you?"

"No, I'm just curious."

"Look, you just have to admit it and I tell you everything."

Openly giggling now, Sara glanced over at Paula and somehow they both understood that they would have to wait a few million years to get Grissom to admit something this like 'I want to know something I could not really figure out'.

"It doesn't matter now, I guess," Grissom said clearly irritated and turned to face his wife instead.

The truth was that Sara was also dying to know the details but she knew it was the two men's game from now on. She remembered how annoyed Grissom had been after the flight a few weeks ago.

.

"_A jerk on the plane to New York said I could be a mummy!"_

"_What? Like Ramses?" Sara hinted and she could not keep a straight face as the first bubble of laughter burst out of her._

"_Why Ramses? And why are you laughing?" Grissom retorted._

"_I don't know, he was the first old fart who popped into my mind. What's your problem with him?"_

"_The maniac on the flight said the same." He was hurt by being called a mummy at all._

_._

Ten or less minutes had passed then Grissom faced the smiling Hugo again. Grissom felt as if he had to admit some kind of a crime, however, this whole situation could be considered as a crime.

"Why the wine and the video tape?"

"Excuse me? I can't hear you."

"Forget it," miffed he looked back at Sara. "Why don't you say anything?"

"Mr. Deveny didn't address me. And Gil, it's just a game he plays with you, can't you see that?"

"The lady has a sharp mind, Mr. Grissom. I would listen to her."

"Hugo, you never listen to me, don't give him such an advice you would never take yourself," Paula said making Sara smile even wider.

"You know what Mr. Deveny? I am not ashamed of being curious or being bothered by the fact that you managed to get away with this."

"We didn't do anything illegal and you know that. All documents of ours were correct and official; we just found the tiny gaps in the system. We hurt nobody or insult no one's privacy."

"You didn't? You broke into others' home, took the DVDs and left some cryptic messages."

"Broke? We have keys to all houses; the owners gave them to us. And we took some DVDs that they didn't mind…they said the same, right?"

"Yeees but can't understand why."

"Admit it!"

"No!"

"You don't wanna know?"

"Okay, so why?"

"You know I like you Mr. Grissom, so I tell you."

"We are all ears," Sara interjected.

"Have you ever played 'Scotland Yard'?" Hugo asked Grissom and Sara.

"No," he answered. But Sara's answer was a determined yes.

"We played it in college. That's a cool ga…me," her smile froze off her face. "No, you wouldn't!"

Grissom looked at Sara with huge mental question marks in his eyes.

"That is a wonderful board game. Also known as Interpol or Fantom," Sara started to explain the game.

"Or Police 07 as Hungarians call it," Hugo said proudly.

"Or that," Sara nodded. "Recommended to play with two, three or even six players. The more players the game is played, the more exciting it can be. One of the players takes on the role of Mr. X. His job is to move from point to point around the map of London," Sara got very enthusiastic about it.

"Or of Budapest…the map in Police 07 is Budapest," Paula said.

"Yeah, I didn't know that. So Mr. X's job is to move in London or in Budapest taking taxis, buses or subways. The detectives, the remaining players acting in concert, move around similarly in an effort to move into the same space as Mr. X. But while the criminal's mode of transportation is nearly always known, his exact location is only known intermittently throughout the game."

"You played Police 07?" Grissom asked numbly.

"With some modification…yes. In the States, local transportation is not that cool than in Europe, so we needed something else to leave traces. So we agreed on…"

"We? You trumped it up during college? Because your accomplices were all your college mates."

"Well, I could substitute accomplices with friends but yeah. We set up a fund – 7 x 5,000 $. The one, or better say the one couple who can step home to home without getting caught either by any of us or the cops in our cases, that couple wins the money."

"Seven?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, seven couples played the game."

"Why the items?" Sara asked impatiently.

"You're just like Paula. Impatient."

"The rule: everybody needs to follow the pattern. One: leave something typical gift behind, which was the Hungarian wine in our case. Two: leave something personal that so-so you, that was the stupid video tapes I was playing in years ago. My embarrassing failure. Three: take something, we took the DVDs. And four: create a pattern, which was our little play with the states' name."

Grissom seemed more and more impressed, "You tried first?"

"No, our German friends were the first but they failed at the third station," Paula explained. "They screwed up because they were way too neat. They had perfect action-plan. Sadly, Jürgen and Maria left their map accidentally behind. We were waiting for them in Albany."

"So you were the second who tried?"

"Mr. Grissom, why can't you ask direct questions? You wanna know about others' patterns, right?"

"Um…yes."

"Teemu and Raia from Finland. They almost made it. Almost. Typical presents were the sauna tickets, what they took was…um..can't remember now but their signatures were two fishing rods. Teemu is a balneologist. They got nabbed because they messed up their destinations and so the pattern was broken."

The next thirty minutes was spent with enlightening Sara and Grissom about the other couples. No wonder no one had known about their game. If there had not been nosy neighbors, Hugo and Paula's mission would have been unrevealed as well. Plus, they really had not done anything illegal. And if Grissom wanted to be truly honest, he was grateful for them because it had served him an excuse to visit Sara. Never a worse case, he desired. However, the fact that Hugo and Paula had managed to clear off still bothered him.

"Mr. Grissom, you seem to be impressed. Do you also love playing? Chess, strategy games, crosswords?"

"I love playing correct games."

"Mr. Grissom, tell me one illegal part in our actions. Just one tiny part."

"I'd rather ask something," he said as he really could not come up with a part that could be against the law.

"Shoot."

"Weren't you two afraid of some foul play?"

"Mr. Grissom, do you trust your team?"

"I did…I still do trust them."

"See? Our relationships are also based on trust. We are like family."

"What happens now? That you win. Did you win?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, we set up a "fund" as Hugo already told you. We call it our prize. Every couple transferred 5,000 $ to an account years ago," Paula explained.

"Wow, that's a lots of money."

"What if someone wants to quit?"

"It's a game, Sara. Can I call you Sara?"

"Yeah," she smiled.

"No one is bound to it, and on the same basis, a new couple we trust can join us."

"Really?" Grissom asked getting obviously more interested.

"Are you interested, Mr. Grissom?" Hugo asked.

"Of course not."

"Why not?"

"Why would you trust us?" Sara interrupted.

"Because you can play by the books. You are correct and clever, a real challenge."

Suddenly, Sara's pulse started to race. She looked at her husband who was so typically chewing on his lower lip. Did this guy really invite them to play their crazy game in their crazy world? Would this couple really trust them? Were they really this friendly?

"Mr. and Mrs. Grissom, just think about it, okay? This is just a game. If you want to have some fun…"

"Just call us Sara and Grissom," Grissom offered making Sara surprised. Grissom? Being this friendly? Sara knew that her husband loved trick-some games. He loved strategy games. They both loved challenges.

"Grissom, don't you want to offer Sara a journey of unique and unknown destination?" Hugo asked him almost hypnotizing the ex-CSI couple.

"A journey of unique and unknown destination?" Sara repeated it. Her pondering made Grissom look at her and touching her hand.

"What is it, dear?"

.

_Cinderella picked the card Sara had selected and then turned it up, placed onto the table in front of her and quickly spread a weird figure out of the rest of the cards._

_With careful eyes, the gypsy woman ran through the cards and suddenly looked at Sara, her eyes got wide and instinctively she covered her mouth with her hand to hide the unexpected surprise._

"_What is it?"_

"_Oh, my! Oh…my Lord!"_

"_Please, what is it?" Sara was on the edge of panic. It was never good when a psychic said such a thing like 'oh my god'.__ "Something with my husband?"_

"_Oh, nice gadzsi, do not worry! I can't tell when I saw something this interesting like this. What an amazing reading!"_

"_Oh, you scared me," she laughed nervously._

"_This card shows a man in __a suit of amour riding a horse."_

"_On a horse?" Sara laughed._

"_Take it figuratively, dear. This man can travel on an airplane if you like. He carries a large pentacle in his right hand. He moves forward confidently yet keeping a keen eye out for any obstacles in his path. He is delivering a message of good challenge to someone who needs it. This may be a financial opportunity coming your way. He is the bearer of good news, so welcome him with open arms and be sure to give him some refreshment on arrival to your door. If you have just been invited into a new business venture with a friend, this will prove to be a sound investment in your future."_

_._

"Sir, ladies? Can I get you something? Refreshments?" the stewardess asked Paula, Hugo, Grissom and Sara.

_B__e sure to give him some refreshment…_

"No thanks," Paula and Hugo said.

"We'd like two cappuccinos," Grissom told the woman. "Why don't you have one, Hugo?" Grissom told Hugo as he turned to him, "Paula?"

_B__e sure to give him some refreshment…_

Contemplating Grissom's offer, Hugo and Paula changed their minds and asked for a diet coke and a cappuccino.

.

"_You may also be about to meet someone very special with whom you can establish a trusting friendship, you might find a sister or brother in that person you have never had.__ Ah, and this card, the Knight of Cups. This card shows a man dressed in armor. He is holding a cup, as if offering it to someone on front of him."_

_._

Sara was watching mesmerized as Hugo lifted his cup to clink his cup with Grissom's. It was like some surreal fever infected dream. As if Cinderella's oracle was just playing in front of Sara's eyes. Paula was smiling at her, she was so kind, Sara wished she had had a sister like her. A sister like her.

.

_Cinderella did notice Sara's amusement.__ She took one of her hands and looked into her eyes. There was something with this woman's eyes. It felt as if she could see into the soul of the person sitting in front of her._

"_You might think it is all untrue but you will see that everything the cards say will come true. See, in this card's background…is a blue sky, a river and some mountains and lush green trees and grass. It appears to be a spring day. Spring means restart or renewal. You and that crabby man may be on the receiving end of a proposal or proposition from this man. He is affectionate and caring and offers his pledge with sincerity and love. There could also be a new job offer and this may also involve a place at a distance."_

"_We are not planning any travelling."_

"_Maybe you are not planning but things happen, dear. So welcome the unexpected."_

"_Um…I'm not sure I would love any __unexpected surprise that requires long distance traveling. I was away for too long."_

"_See this card. The Lovers. The Lovers card always brings choices. Love is the strongest emotion we know and it can literally move mountains. The desire to be with your special person can overwhelm you and override all logic or other sense of clarity.__ Don't be afraid of changes, be brave and look forward to challenges. Welcome the new life in your new life. Life within life."_

_._

Sara thought back to her decision. She had asked Catherine to find someone to hire because she was going to follow her heart, her husband. She had not thought twice. It had been as clear as a diamond in the sunshine. Back then, Cinderella's words had not come back to her but now, her words seemed to have sense.

"Dear, are you alright?" Grissom asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," at his look, she smiled and caressed his cheek. "I'm good, really."

"Sara, you're so pale. Are you sure you feel fine?" Paula asked her sincerely.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Sara, want some mint flavored candy-bar? It helps the nausea…"

"No, no, I am…," Sara started to say but then stopped. She did not know these people, still she was about to share things about themselves. Why?

"I'm sorry if I seemed to be a meddler," Hugo apologized immediately.

"No, it's okay."

"So, what do you say?"

"About?" Grissom pretended stupid to save time.

"Come on, Grissom, you know exactly. Don't think I offer this game to just anyone."

Sara was so excited, she could not explain why but she wanted to try. It excited her, made her alive again; maybe it was that had caused the nausea. She did not know. Grissom looked at her, obviously waving himself too.

Sara was remembering the last card she had selected. It had been the 'Death'. She remembered well enough how scared she had become. That had showed a grim reaper and a white rose at the same time. Cinderella also had seen Sara's terror. In their job…they could never know what the next day would offer. She had promised Sara it had not been a horrible card as it might have seemed at first sight.

Cinderella had explained that this card was a good one. She had detailed what the card depicted. Sara now knew what the meaning of the Sun setting in the background of the card, indicating the end of daylight hours. This was the card of endings, renewal and transformation of the highest order. The slate would be wiped clean for a fresh start. Sara closed her eyes as she remembered Cinderella's last words to her.

.

"_Turn the leaf, sow new seeds, dear, change your appearance, move house, leave that silly job and get out there and dance. Life can end at any moment for any of us, so it is how wisely we spend our time here that really matters._ _When we are on our death-bed, darling, we will wish we had kicked up our heels more often, been more carefree, danced longer, sang out loud and showed others how much we love them. Don't wait till then, do it now, while you are alive and still kicking."_

_._

"Sara! Sara!" Grissom called her name several times.

"Sorry," she smiled.

"You don't look fine. Do we have those crackers?" he asked.

"I ate all."

The plane was descending that surprised both the Grissoms and the Devenys. Were they talking this long? How did it happen that no one had fallen asleep?

"So? Grissom? Sara?" Hugo asked them.

"Gil, we might…"

Grissom sighed but still was looking at his own hands. He did not know what to do. Deep inside him, he longed for some great adventure. But could he put Sara through this in her condition? He looked up at her, she smiled knowingly. The decision was made in her mind. Now the final decision was fully up to him, Grissom knew that.

"So, are you two in? Do you wanna play?" Hugo turned to Sara and Grissom patiently waiting for their answer.

**THE END**

_**

* * *

Author's Postscript:**__ So the time has come to end this story. I would like to thank everybody who gave this story a try and read it :-) I left the ending open for interpretation, hahaha, so it is up to you to guess what Grissom's decision was :-) Just as well about Sara's "condition"._

_

* * *

I want to thank my dear friend__, __**Rekciptin**__ for her great support. I love you!_

_Also a __huge 'thank you' to __**Vegemite_jet**__, one of her sentences planted the idea of this story into my head, so if you didn't like the story, blame her...hehehhehe ;)_

_And finally, I want to thank everybody who shared their thoughts with me, I loved every and all reviews, they mean a lot! THANK YOU!_

_See you all in 2011, if you are interested in __a genre a little different than humor, then check 'Pride & Prejudice' out. Next update will be ready in January._

_Finally, I want to share something with you__, I found funny:_

_"There are three stages of a man's life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus." - Author Unknown_

_**HAPPY **__**CHRISTMAS FOR EVERYBODY!**_


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